Fenikkusu: Phoenix
by XxXJTDXxX
Summary: Karin is dead set on becoming a Soul Reaper to help in the Winter War. Something, though is different then normal, especially her Zanpakuto. New faces and new problems. The winter war can wait. Rewritten.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: Ages are different from cannon. Karin and Yuzu are both 15 in this story. They look the same just older and taller. Toshiro will also be slightly taller.  
Disclaimer applies to EVERY chapter. I do not own anything and never will. I only own Karin's Zanpakuto.  
**

Hitsugaya Toshiro sat upon Orihime's roof late at night with his mind clouded over by his thoughts on a soccer game. On that day he had meet Kurosaki Karin, the sister to the shinigami substitute Kurosaki Ichigo. When he arrived to the soccer game he noticed that the young Kurosaki was hurt but she kept on playing the game.

"Why can't I get her off my mind?!" He yelled to the heavens. The birds that were surrounding the area flew off in fear but the shinigami didn't care or even notice.

"Taicho are you okay?" Matsumoto Rangiku jumped up onto the roof. She watched her Taicho's face change expressions. "Are you injured?"

"I am fine." Toshiro mumbled to the lieutenant. "Are you sure?" Matsumoto tried again.

"I am fine." He mumbled angrily. "I am just, thinking."

"Thinking for a girlfriend?" Matsumoto teased knowingly. "I am not thinking about any girl especially not Kurosaki Karin." Toshiro mumbled quickly. Matsumoto giggled into her hand. Toshiro looked at her weirdly before replaying what he had just said.

"What I mean, is, well you see…" He tried to correct himself. Sighing to himself, he grudgingly accepted what he said. "You say nothing."

"I don't know, this would be pretty good information to rely to The Women's Society." Matsumoto jumped off the roof escaping the enraged Taicho. "Matsumoto! Don't you dare tell anyone anything!"

Toshiro sighed to himself one more. He looked at the sky for the last time then he jumped off the roof. Toshiro decided to let his feet take him where ever they wanted. And he had no idea where his feet were taking them. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he just walked for a couple blocks before his feet slowed down to a stop. He turned his eyes to the house he stopped in front.

'_Karin.'_

He jumped up to her windowsill, squatting down so he wouldn't fall of the ledge. He peered into the darkness where Karin and her twin Yuzu slept. He watched Karin's breathing slowly rise and fall. It was so soothing to him; it just washed away all his thoughts of the mission and the hollows. He sat there for hours just watching her breathe. It wasn't long before when the sun started rising.

"You know Hitsugaya-Taicho peering in through a window at this time of morning is a crime."

Toshiro jumped up forgetting he was on a ledge. Gravity took its toll and pulled him to the earth. He glanced up into the morning air trying to identify who caught him. That someone jumped off the roof gracefully landing on his feet.

"Kurosaki-Taicho!?" Isshin smiled at the taicho on the ground before him. "So why are you at my daughter's window?"



"How did you I know I was there? I was masking my reiatsu to the bare minimal." Toshiro stood up before the taicho.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho you may have been masking your reiatsu but my father-senses were tingling, so I went to check up on my daughters. I knew it wasn't a hollow or a menos because Ichigo and Rukia-chan would have woken up. So I changed into my Shinigami form and decided to check it out." Isshin smiled at Toshiro before glancing at the sunrise. "When I saw it was the kawaii Hitsugaya-Taicho I was surprised, but when Karin-chan came home last night she said she had beaten the middle-schoolers at soccer, with help from you of course. I wasn't surprised it was you watching her."

Toshiro was shocked beyond belief. He could feel his face heat up a little so he turned his head and scoffed at the old man, before walking away. Isshin smiled at his retreating figure. "Oi Hitsugaya-Taicho! If I ever find out you were in Karin-chan's room at this time of day, well let's say you won't have to worry about paperwork anymore. Bye chibi-taicho!"

Toshiro tripped over his own feet however he gracefully caught himself. The killer intent Isshin directed at him was incredible. He knew Kurosaki-Taicho was strong, but to let off that amount of killer intent that easily was ridiculous. Shaking his head out of the intent, Toshiro gave one last look to the Kurosaki house before flash steeping back to Orihime's house.

When he finally got to bed, his alarm rang 2 minutes later. He grimly got out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen. He was in the middle of making his tea and reading the paper, when sleep consumed him.

"When do you think he'll finally wake up at?" A quiet voice asked. "I am not sure, but knowing Toshiro he'll wake up soon." Replied a much louder voice next to him.

"That's Hitsugaya-Taicho to you and I am awake now, thanks to you." Toshiro slowly opened his eyes glancing around taking in his surroundings. Orihime looked at him cautiously, and Matsumoto looked overjoyed.

"Ano, Hitsugaya-san, but where did you get those scratches?" Orihime was worried about the cuts since the basically appeared out of nowhere. "Hn." Toshiro abruptly stood up, and walked to the front door, ignoring any questions thrown at him.

"Taicho where are you going? Are you going to visit that cute Karin-chan?" Matsumoto shouted out after him.

Toshiro missed a step on the stairs and flew down the remanding stairs. "Itai!"

"Ah! Hitsugaya-san! Are you okay?!" Orihime's voice floated down to him. All he did for an answer was a grunt and the closing of a door.

Toshiro walked slowly unaware of the glances he was getting. He ignored them, and continued on his way. His thoughts kept drifting back to the raven-haired girl he met. Why did he let her call him Toshiro and not get mad, actually for some reason he liked it when she called him that. Or when she scrapped her knee in the soccer game, all he wanted to do was protect her from everybody, and beat the guy up who caused it. Or…



"Toshiro! Matte!" Toshiro stumbled a little. He knew that voice it was…Karin. Toshiro kept on walking but at a slower pace. He knew she would catch up to him in no time. He was right; she did catch up to him but know she was out of breath.

"Toshiro I asked you to hold up so I could catch up. Why didn't you wait?" Toshiro knew that his resolve was going too crumbled but in order to keep up his pride and reputation he was going to have to keep a static face. Easier said the done of course, just looking at her makes him wants to smile and hug her, but he had a reputation to hold up to.

"Toshiro… what are thinking about?" Karin slowly waved her hand in front of his face. She let out a low gasp when he suddenly caught her hand.

"None of your business, Kurosaki." Toshiro let go of her hand and continued on his way.

"Well sorry but you weren't response, so I was worried, but if you are going to be a jerk about it, I just won't show to this awesome place I know about." Karin knew he had caught his attention, but when he looked at her she was expected it so much. Red quickly spread lightly to her cheeks as she looked into his light blue eyes. She turned her head quickly so he wouldn't notice. Unknown to her Toshiro was doing the same thing as well. Karin quickly acted along with it.

She quickly spun her body around shoved her hands in her pockets, her soccer ball under her armpit. "Well I guess since you don't want to know, I'll just leave you alone." She slowly walked away, taking her time knowing that he'll be sure to follow after her.

"Matte, where are you going?"

'_Hook… line and sinker.'_ Karin thought to herself.

"The arcade, I figured that you would want to see something like this before you leave. But if you're not the type of guy who would go then I guess I can find another friend to go with me. Oh well."

"Matte, since you asked me first, I guess I must go…" The shinigami spoke up.

Karin spun around quickly, but a little too quickly. She lost her balance, and was falling forwards rapidly. Karin closed her eyes waiting for the pain but it was never there. She opened her eyes, catching light blue eyes as well. Her face was inventing new colors of red as she realized just how close she was to Toshiro.

Toshiro's face was the same color as hers. A bunch of different thoughts crept into his mind as he tried to banish them, it also didn't help if ankle was sore now. He hated gigai they were so weak. When his eyes caught Karins', his face darkened. All he could think about and wanted to do was lift his face a little more to reach her lips.

Toshiro's arm was wrapped around her waist the other in her hair. His arms pulling her closer into him but not enough to hurt her. Karin hadn't realized the position they were in until she heard a cough from above, she quickly scrambled up to meet her brother eyes. Toshiro slowly got up until he noticed who was standing right there.



Toshiro scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could but with his ankle like the way it was, it was hard to.

"Ichi-nii!? When did you get back!? Wait, where did you go, Yuzu and Otou-san are both upset that you left again." Karin gulped nervously.

"I just got back now, just in time to see the pervert touch you." Ichigo snapped. "So Karin, could you kindly tell me why you are with him, in public, doing unnecessary things?"

"You have it all wrong, we aren't doing anything. I fell forward and he stopped me from hurting myself." Karin meekly muttered. "Ichi-nii please think rationally. There is no reason to be angry at Toshiro."

Ichigo walked up to Toshiro and quickly grabbed the ear on the gigai. Of course if he was in is normal body he wouldn't be lightly complaining about the pain but gigai tend to be weaker. Since, they were weaker and you were getting dragged by your ear naturally it would hurt.

"Just because you outrank me doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. Plus now that you are in that gigai I have height on you, so I can easily hurt you more now." Strawberry whispered into Toshiro's ear.

Toshiro glared at Ichigo and yanked himself away from him. "I don't care what you think. You left so you have no right to boss around your sister. Especially since you left without explaining anything to her."

Ichigo grabbed Toshiro's wrist and Karin's wrist and dragged them both to the Kurosaki house. Toshiro was yelling at Ichigo to let him and Karin go, while Ichigo was yelling back saying stuff along the lines of no.

When they entered into the house Ichigo pushed Toshiro by the door and carried Karin into her room. Toshiro stood at the door angrily rubbing his wrist. Ichigo placed Karin on her bed and locked the door from the outside. Karin banged against the door screaming that it wasn't fair and that nothing happened. Ichigo ignored her, grabbed Toshiro's wrist again and pulled him towards Urahara's Shouten.

"This is stupid. You're overreacting!" Toshiro yelled at Ichigo when they entered the area of the shop. "I have every right to overreact." Everyone inside the small shop could hear both their voices as they got closer. They heard Toshiro yelling out to let him go and other stuff along those lines, and Ichigo screaming never back at him.

When the two finally entered into the room, everyone was shocked at the behaviour they were both showing. Toshiro was glaring at Ichigo and Ichigo was letting off huge amounts of reiatsu at an alarming rate. Matsumoto ran up to Ichigo and grabbed Toshiro away from Ichigo.

"Thank you Matsumoto" He said as he rubbed his red wrist again. "Well…Ichigo or Hitsugaya-kun, I don't really understand so explain…please." Urahara said, being the only brave to talk.

"This Taicho here decided to get busy with my little sister at the park!" Ichigo glared at Toshiro who in return glared back.



"I did nothing of the sort!" Toshiro yelled in defence.

"Yeah, right, you did nothing!! You were clearly underneath my sister, and touching her in places you shouldn't have been!" Ichigo yelled at Toshiro.

"It wasn't my fault! She offered to show me around the town so I could get a better situation of what was going on!" Toshiro lied. "She spun around to look at me, and she lost her balance. I didn't want her to get hurt so I took the fall for her. My hands were around her waist and her back, then that's when you came! It was not my fault!"

"I really doubt she is that weak. She can take a fall." Ichigo screamed. "I know she could have, but she was still injured from the hollow encounter and the soccer game."

"Oh really and why would you care!" Ichigo's voice wasn't as loud but it still held malice in his voice. It was like the room temperature just got hotter.

Toshiro was left in silence. He wasn't sure what he felt about her. He was afraid and worried when she got hurt, he loved to see her smile… he loved everything about her. Simply as that. In anger of the silence, Ichigo kicked the distracted Toshiro's legs knocking him to the ground. He put his foot on his stomach pushing down on it.

"Answer my question!" Toshiro grabbed his ankle and threw him off of him. He stood up and glared down at him.

"If this was the Soul Society, you could be executed for your actions against me, especially now that we are in war!" Ichigo stood up lifting him up by his shirt.

"Who are you to boss me around?" Ichigo glared, "and stop avoiding my question."

"You want to know my opinion that badly, well her it is, she is annoying child who I see everywhere I go. I saved her life along with her friends from a hollow attack. I have nothing else to say about her." Toshiro spoke with an eerily calm voice.

Matsumoto, Orihime and Rukia knew better than that. They all knew he had something like feelings for her. Matsumoto knowing her Taicho better knew he was slowly dying inside. Even if he held a stoic mask he still had a heart.

"Hitsugaya… Stay away from my family. Am I understood?" Ichigo spoke with killing intent. "Whatever, just be lucky I don't go and tell the Sotaicho on you." Toshiro glared at him, and was very tempted to spit in his face.

"Whatever as long as you don't mess with my family again." Ichigo let go of Toshiro, dropping him to the floor. Landing lightly on the ground Toshiro glared once more at Ichigo's back.

Rukia watched Ichigo walk out of the door, slamming it in the process. She just shook her head in shame and turned her attention to the young Shinigami. Orihime glanced at everyone, taking a quick look around, nobody dared to look at Toshiro.



"Matsumoto, am I doing the right thing?" Toshiro asked his lieutenant when she entered the room. "I mean I know I shouldn't being feeling anything for this girl but should I just let her go?"

Matsumoto watched her taicho walk around the room. "I think you should do what you believe is right."

Toshiro lightly smiled at Matsumoto before he walked to his futon on the ground. "I think your right."

Leaving the bedroom she walked into main room and sat in her previous spot. "Matsumoto, is he okay now?" Yumichika asked her quietly, "You were telling us earlier that he liked this girl named Karin, is she the same person?"

"Hai…they are. I figure that Taicho is in more emotional pain. He doesn't know what to do about the situation. He knows that the laws he must abide to say never to fall in love with a human, but here is his in that very position. He is under a lot of pressure with the war, Momo and Aizen, and now he has Karin to deal with."

Tessai brought out 6 glasses of hot tea everyone grabbed their respectful glasses, and sipped in peace. They all soon felt a bunch of hollows arrive. Yumichika and Ikkaku nodded to the others saying they would get them.

"Those are hollows." Toshiro rushed out of the bedroom. "Ikkaku and Yumichika are going after them." Toshiro nodded.

"Then I am going to the roof. Don't bother to come and get me." The group nodded and watched him leave the shouten. When he was out of earshot Yoruichi spoke up, "Poor fellow."


	2. Chapter 2

(Hitsugaya's POV)

(Hitsugaya's POV)

After sitting on the roof pondering about what I needed to do, did I finally head off to bed. I knew I said I wasn't supposed to see her but I had to take the chance. I decided that in the morning I would go and see her.

"Hitsugaya-san? I guess your still sleeping…Well Kurosaki-kun has come to tell you something. Maybe you'll wake up in time to hear it." I opened my eyes slowly. I wonder what Kurosaki wanted to tell me.

"Toshiro? Are you awake?" Ichigo's voice drifted in. "Hai, and its Hitsugaya-Taicho, not Toshiro." I replied dully.

"Toshiro! You're awake! Thank Kami-sama. I have to tell you something, ah do you mind if I sit down?" I figured since it was Ichigo that I wouldn't need to tell him to sit down. I was right about that.

"Listen Toshiro..." _"_That's Hitsugaya-Taicho_"_ "…I am sorry about what I did and how acted towards you and my sister, but when you see your sister on top of a guy, you kind of feel the need to protect her." Ichigo wasn't looking at me, but staring at the corner of the room, pouting like a kid who was forced say thank you.

"I was wrong—"

"You weren't wrong; you had every reason to do what you did." I replied. "Now if you could kindly move out of the way, I need to go somewhere." Ichigo nodded.

"As long as you and my sister don't do anything inappropriate then I don't care, for now."

"Fine whatever." Ichigo nodded his head in agreement.

I exited the shop and head towards Kurosaki's Clinic. I walked up to the door and lightly knocked. I waited as patiently as I could, I soon heard a whole bunch of clatter, bangs and I few screams. While I was wondering what was going on in there, Matsumoto snuck up behind me. She jumped on my back giving me the biggest bear hug of all time. I toppled over landing on my stomach with Matsumoto sitting on my back. That was when the door opened. I glanced up to see Isshin with a black eye, and a pan stuck on his head smiling at me. I suddenly grew aware of the position Matsumoto put me in. I shoved her off, quickly jumping to my feet.

"Hello Kurosaki-taicho is-"

"Karin! Yuzu! We have guests, come and welcome them in!" Isshin yelled into the house. A short girl with light brown hair came running to the door wearing an apron. I saw Karin slowly walking behind her.

"My darling daughters, we must treat our guests with respect and- " I watched as Karin jumped up and kicked Isshin in the head. Isshin flew straight into the wall across the street, I watched as Karin landed on her feet lightly. Isshin looked like he was down for the count. I looked up at Karin, the back at Isshin. I slowly took two steps back towards the street.

"Onee-chan…" The brown haired girl replied. I could only assume it was Yuzu since I already knew Karin. "Ah sorry about that, hello I am Yuzu and this is my sister Karin. Please come in."

Matsumoto was already ahead of me by two steps; she was in the house introducing herself to the young girl. I sighed, shaking my head at her behavior. "Hey Toshiro is she your mom, but her hair is strawberry blond and yours in white, so that's out… maybe you're…" I sighed again.

"That's my subordinate; she's the vice-captain of squad 10. Ano… can I come in?"Karin just nodded leading me into the kitchen where Matsumoto and Yuzu were grinning and talking about a whole bunch of cooking techniques.

"Um Kurosaki, are you okay…?" I didn't want to look at her, put I was worried that she might have gotten hurt. So I took a glance at her then over to wall to my left.

"Hn, I am okay. What did Ichi-ni do to you anyways?"

"I am glad you're not hurt." I left it at that, I felt like she didn't need to know the details of what happened. I turned back to Matsumoto watching as she nodded eagerly at Yuzu's words.

"I just came to see if you were okay and all that. Now that you are, I should be leavin-" I was cut of by the entrance of Isshin.

"We agree to accept you to have dinner Shiro-chan!" Isshin ran over to the poster of Masaki on the wall (ignoring my words) screaming words out so fast. I heard the word grandchild, Shiro-chan and Karin somewhere in there.

"Its Toshiro or Hitsugaya" I called out helpless. Why doesn't anyone call me by my surname.

"Kurosaki-san I can't stay and have di-" Again I was cut off by Matsumoto this time.

"Were staying for dinner, Yatta! Yuzu let me help you prepare!" I sighed to myself.

"I guess were staying for dinner now. Man what a freaking annoying day." Karin just laughed beside me. I turned to her, wondering what she was laughing at. I followed her glaze to Matsumoto, who caught the stove on fire, with both Kursakis trying to put it out. Yuzu tripped and got Matsumoto in the face with the foam from the extinguisher. Over all it has an interesting scene. I couldn't help myself, but I had to smile lightly.

Matsumoto looked at me astonished, totally forgetting there was a fire going on. Karin just kept laughing with me smiling beside her; Matsumoto smiled at the scene, and then noticed her clothes were on fire. In her panic she forgot the steps to stop, drop, and roll, so she just ran around the house like an idiot. She tripped over a pan landing on the ground. When she was on the ground she rolled back and forth, putting the fire out slowly. I couldn't help myself as I began to laugh. Soon Karin and mine backs were pressed against each other as we laughed on the floor.

When we calmed down from our laughing matters, we noticed the fire was out, expect the wall behind the stove was charred, and the food turned to dust. We decided that we all should just go out for supper instead. Isshin took us to a place called WacDonalds where we enjoyed big mac's and fries. Dinner was just as chaotic, but I had never had so much fun. Of course I tried to control myself again, it worked expect for the occasional smile. The day came to an end, it was time for Matsumoto and myself to leave. We were on our way back, when Karin ran up to me and asked if I wanted to play soccer for a little bit. Matsumoto let us be, walking off towards Inoue's house.

After a quick game of soccer we headed to the railing where we met. I jumped over the railing, looking out to the sunset. It brought back so many memories of Hinamori. "Hey Toshiro, can I ask you a question?" Karin was looking at the sky, watching the sun slowly set.

"You just did." I replied. "Shut up! Just answer this for me then. When you said the sky brings back memories of your childhood friend, were they good or bad, who was she/he?

"Her name was Hinamori. I was her best friend through out the years, but now I am not to sure. Her captain betrayed her and the Soul Society. Hinamori took it the worst. Last time I talked to her, she still believed that her captain could be saved. She told me to save him for her, but I can't do that since he is beyond saving. It is his entire stupid fault!" I wouldn't look anywhere but at the sunset.

"Was she pretty?" Her question startled me; I lost my balance and was going to fall down the hill. I tried to stand up but I couldn't grip my feet into the ground. Karin went to grab my hand, but it was no use. I ended up pulling her down with me. I made sure to make it so I took the most of the damage; I was trying to keep it so that I would end up on the bottom once we stopped rolling.

When we finally stopped rolling she rolled off of me, and just laughed. I couldn't understand this girl for the life of me. I turned toward her looking at her while she laughed her life out of here. I don't know how long I sat watching her. I noticed a familiar reiatsu. I guess somewhere between rolling down the hill until now when Matsumoto followed us down here and started watching us. I quickly sat up scanning the area around us trying to pin point where she was.

"Shiro-chan, what are you looking for?" I turned towards Karin beside me.

"… I am looking for Matsumoto…she's around her somewhere." I looked away then continued my search. I was glancing around when I caught the site of here lying on the ground, mumbling nonsense. I got up and walked over towards her, with Karin following behind me. I listened in on the words she was mumbling only catching a few words.

"Matsumoto… What are you doing here?" I asked impatiently. "Taicho!" Matsumoto almost jumped out of her body when she realized we caught her. "Taicho, how…how come you let her call you Shiro-chan but no one else?"

"…" I actually I have no idea why in truth. I guess it didn't bother me so much when she said it. I just shrugged at Matsumoto then turned around walking towards the soccer ball that was neglected. I kicked it up in the air, and then bounced it around on my knees before catching it in my hand. I turned towards Karin tossing it with one hand towards her, before walking away.

"Shiro-chan, Matte!" I slowed down my pace again, just enough for her to catch up to me. I turned around towards Matsumoto on the ground. "Matsumoto, hurry up, or I'll just leave you here!"

"Coming Taicho!"

I continued on my way up the hill with Karin beside me and Matsumoto behind us. We eventually got to the top near the side railing. I jumped over the railing, waiting for Matsumoto to catch up to us.

"Hey Shiro-chan…What did she mean when she said I was the only one who you let them call you Shiro-chan?" I was shocked at her straight forward question. I needed a reply and quick."I don't usually let people call me that."

"Oh... Do you mind if I call you that, I can call you Toshiro if you want? Or I could call yo-"

"Karin, it doesn't bug me, just don't say it front of everyone." I turned towards Matsumoto who just made it over the railing. "Come on Matsumoto, it's about time we headed over to Inoue's house. Goodnight Karin." I walked away before anyone could say anything to me after that.

"Goodnight Shiro-chan…" That was the last thing I heard from her, before I was out of ear shot.

"Taicho! Matte!" Matsumoto called out to me. Geez what was with everyone telling me to wait lately? Again I slowed my pace down just enough to be moving but almost at a complete stop. We walked in silence after that, but when we got closer to Inoue's house Matsumoto stopped.

"Taicho? Do you like that girl… a lot?" I froze at the door, handle in my hand. "Goodnight Matsumoto." I avoided the question; I figured she already knew the answer.

That night I didn't sleep so well, my thoughts just kept going back to Karin. I really wish Matsumoto didn't say that last night. Now I am never going to be able to sleep for a couple of nights. Hell I might even lose my concentration a few times. I just sighed softly to myself.

I walked into Inoue's kitchen, where Matsumoto was waiting for me. I quickly turned around and walked out of there as fast as I could. Shit now she was going to be waiting for an answer to her question. I heard her chair slide out behind her, her footsteps following after mine.

"Taicho, you can't run forever, you are going to tell me what your answer is like it or not." Matsumoto called out after me.

I simply quickened my pace, but she quickened hers too. I got out the door and turned towards Karakura Park. I broke out into a run as fast as I could. I heard Matsumoto's footsteps quicken as well.

"Taicho, you won't be able to escape me!"

"Yes I will!" With that said I ran at full force towards the soccer field. Matsumoto caught up quickly. She almost got me a few times, but I would duck under her arms and run behind her to an opposite direction. After a few times she caught onto my movements and pinned me to the ground. I lay on my back looking anywhere besides up. When I did take a quick glance at her, she was smirking at me.

"Taicho, you know when in our gigai, little boys like you tend to be slower than girls like me. Now tell me the answer!"

"Get off of me Matsumoto."

"Not until you tell me if you like that human girl?"

"What human girl?"

"Toshiro you like a human girl, what's her name?" Matsumoto and I turned our heads so we could see in front of us. Standing there was Karin, with her friends behind her. There was a soccer ball under her foot to keep it from rolling away.

"I don't like any human girls. I don't like anyone. Matsumoto get off of me now!" Matsumoto got off of me slowly; she reached her hand out to help me up, but I just ignored it opting to get up myself.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Karin, it's not like I didn't know but I felt the need to ask her anyways. "We are here to practice; some team from high school challenged us because we won that game against the collage kids that one day. Since I know you don't want to play, since you didn't last time, we need to practice so we can beat them." I felt a weird pain through my heart when she said that I didn't want to play, she never asked me. It hurt more then a physical wound.

"Whatever." I walked over to the sideline and just sat there. If she didn't want me to play, then I'll watch on the sidelines. Matsumoto eventually joined me on the sideline as well. "Taicho? What are they doing?" I glanced at Matsumoto from the corner of my eyes, then turned back to Karin and her friends practicing.

"They're playing soccer."

"What's that? And what did she mean that you didn't want to play with them?"

"It is a game where you kick around a ball to the other side of the field to score a goal in the other teams net. You can't use your hands but you can use any other body part." I replied, "what she meant was that when I first met her, she wanted me to play with them against a group of college students. I didn't want to, but I came anyways. When I got there Karin had hurt her knee, and they were losing badly. So I joined. I scored points for them then let Karin score the last point."

"So she isn't letting you play because she knows that you didn't want to last time?"

"Hn. Something like that." I turned towards the sky, just thinking of anything that came to mind. "Taicho? Did it hurt you when she said you didn't want to play when she didn't ask her?"I glanced back at Matsumoto then towards Karin, after I glanced towards the sky again.

"No. I don't really care if she didn't ask me or not."

"Hey Taicho, can you teach me how to play soccer?"

"I can't we don't have a soccer ball."

"Then let's play with Karin-chan and her friends." Matsumoto got up and ran towards the center of the field. "Matte!" I ran after her hoping not to intrude on their soccer game. Well my hoping didn't work out to well.

"Karin-chan! Can you teach me how to play? Shiro-chan won't teach me how to."

"IT'S HITSUGAYA!!"

"Anyways… can you teach me how to play?" Matsumoto asked again.

"How come Toshiro can't teach you? Toshiro is better then Karin!" said Kayuza, one of Karin's friends. "He is? Shiro-chan you never told me that?" Matsumoto said turning to me.

"He is not better than me!" I glanced at Karin who was glaring intently at me. "Your team was losing until I got there, face it, I scored the goals for you. Your team would have lost if I didn't show up." I smirked at her.

"I was doing just fine, I just hurt myself so I couldn't play well, otherwise I would have had won without you! Who needs a shorty on their team!" Karin glanced away, with an annoyed face on.

"Who are you calling super short!"

"Stop exaggerating. If you think you are so much better than me then let's play! I'll prove to you that I am better than you!"

"Fine! I accept your challenge! Pick your team and I'll pick mine, only two people per team excluding yourself." I turned towards Matsumoto, "get in net!"

"Ano… Shiro-chan, what do I do?" Matsumoto asked me. Damn, I forgot she has never played before. "Just stop the ball from going in the net behind you. You can use your hands, now get in the net!"

"Hai Taicho!" I watched as Matsumoto ran towards the net. I turned back towards Karin as she talked to Kayuza, who nodded then ran to the net. I walked to the center of the field where Karin met me there.

"You're going down Shiro-chan." Karin hissed at me. I smirked at her. "If you can catch me that is."

We both watched as Kei put the ball on the ground, then walk away towards the edge of the field. "Ladies first." I said to Karin.

"Your mistake." She replied. She quickly grabbed the ball and ran around me. I smirked to myself before running after her. I caught up to her before she reached the net, and quickly stole the ball from under her. I slide the ball to the right, when she went to grab it from my feet.

"I thought you said you were better than me?" I smirked as she went for the ball again, but I moved it back a little bit. "Shut up Hitsugaya!" She growled at me.

Her saying my surname instead of my first name shocked me a little bit. I almost lost the ball to her, but was lucky and snapped out of it quickly. I spun around her taking the ball with me, I ran down the field towards the net. When I knew I was of distance to score I pulled my leg back and kicked it has hard as I could. I watched as it went into the corner of the net, scoring myself a point.

I walked back towards my net, passing Karin on the way. "And whoosh, point for me."

"Shut up… you almost lost control there." Karin smirked at me. "Not my fault." I walked to the middle before stopping and turning around.

Karin was dribbling down the field with the ball toward my net. I ran up to her, planning to grab the ball from her again. When we met, she danced around me before running down the field with the ball. I ran after her, but she was too far ahead of me this time. With one mighty kick she scored on my net. I glared at Matsumoto, who just shrugged at me, not caring a goal was scored.

"How was that Shiro-chan?" She laughed at me. "Shut up Karin. You got lucky that time, I let you score on my net, so don't go swelling that head of yours."

"Why you…I am going to kill you!"

"Did you forget I am already dead?" I smirked at her. "Then I'll kill you again!"

"Whatever."

"God! You stupid smug short asshole!" I glared at her, before going up to her. "What did you say to me?" Karin got in my face as well until it became a glaring contest. "I called you a short smug malevolent cretin!"

"Shut up bitch."

"…" I stopped glaring, as she looked down at the ground.

"Karin? Karin…" I thought I saw a tear fall down but I was just imagining it because her reiatsu flared up. "Toshiro!!" She lunged at me, tackling me to the ground. The force caused me to roll backwards, and land on my stomach. She crutched down in front of me, waiting for me to stand up.

I was just about to stand up again when she tackled me in the stomach again this time pining me to the ground. She sat on my stomach glaring down at me. I watched as she brought her fist down to punch me in the face. I winced and closed my eyes, waiting for the blow. I didn't have to wait long before I felt her fist hit me in the face. She hit me a couple of times before Matsumoto and Kei pulled her off of me, restraining her.

I kneeled down and coughed up the blood in my mouth. I sat there staring at the amount of blood on the ground. I slowly inched my eyes up to see Karin fighting with Matsumoto, trying to get free of her grip. "Let her go Matsumoto." I said quietly.

"But Taicho… she'll just-"

"Just let her go now." Matsumoto nodded to me, then slowly let go of Karin. I slowly got to my feet waiting for whatever was coming for me.

"Toshiro that was a mistake calling me a bitch, now I'm really going to get you good." I watched as she walked up to me. I knew I had it coming for me, and it was going to hurt more then ever. She brought her arm back, as I winced and waited for the punch again. I guess she changed her mind, because she brought her back down. Instead she kicked me in the stomach with a well placed side kick. I skidded backwards some distance before falling to my knees and coughing up more blood. While I coughed up blood she started walking away.

I slowly got up, and ran after her, ignoring Matsumoto's call after me. Right when I cam up the hill, I watched as a car was speeding down the road while she was in the middle of the street. I quickly ran up to her and pushed her off the road right before the car impacted into me.

My eyes gave out on me, but I heard someone crying and Matsumoto calling an ambulance. "Shiro-chan… please don't die on me!" cried a voice. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

_6 hours in the Waiting Room_

Karin glanced around the hospital's waiting room. Matsumoto was in the chair beside her; she had her head in her hands and was crying softly. Rukia was beside Orihime, holding her hand as they both looked at the emergency light above them. Yuzu was on the other side of her, trying to be tough but was not succeeding. Urahara and Yoruichi were standing near the entrance of the waiting room, talking amongst themselves. Jinata was beside Yuzu with Ururu on his other side. Renji was pacing back and forth in the middle of the room with Chad watching him pace.

Karin looked up at the red emergency light, watching it glow red. She sighed to herself quietly before getting up and walking to the door to get a drink. She took one last look at the operation room before walking out of the room.

"_Shiro-chan… please don't die on me!" Karin shouted as she watched the people pick Toshiro up and put him on the stretcher, wheeling him onto the ambulance. _

"_Oh my Gosh! Is Toshiro okay! Is he going to die?" Karin's frantic friends called out._

"_He is going to be okay." Matsumoto spoke. _

'_If his soul hadn't also gone unconscious and you weren't here he would be back to normal immediately.' Matsumoto looked at the cop cars coming as well as the ambulances. 'Plus some stupid bystander called them, so now we must act like normal. This is going to be annoying.'_

_Matsumoto slowly came up to Karin, watching as she held back her tears. "Karin-chan… Come on the police officers are going to give us a ride to the hospital. He'll be okay. I know Hitsugaya-Taicho will be okay, don't worry." Matsumoto said quietly to Karin putting a hand on her shoulder._

"_It's all my fault…if I hadn't gotten so angry it would have been alright. It's all my fault…" Karin mumbled watching the ambulance pull away quickly. _

Karin sighed as she remembered what happened. She wanted to cry but she had to be strong of everyone. She had to be strong.

'_Why did I not pay attention where I was going!?'_ Karin had only gained a few scratches, but Toshiro… he… almost died. Karin couldn't handle it anymore; she slid down the wall crying to herself. She sat there crying for a little bit more when she noticed a pair of shoes in front of her. She followed the feet up to the owner. She looked at Ichigo in the eyes, before starting to cry again.

_Karin and Matsumoto slowly climbed into the police car. Karin sat by the window looking out at the blood left on the ground by Toshiro. _

"_Matsumoto, why do I always get Shiro-chan hurt? I hurt him when Ichi-ni saw him and me. I thought I saw Shiro-chan crying as well. Am I really a good person for Shiro-chan to be hanging out with?" Karin asked softly._

"_Karin-chan, I won't lie to you, Taicho is going to get a lot more trouble if he hangs out with you, but he likes you a lot. Enough to play a soccer game because you got hurt. I know he thinks of you as his best friend. So if you got hurt he would never forgive himself." Matsumoto looked at the trees blurring by her._

"_Just don't get hurt, because then he'll never forgive himself." _

"Ichi-nii…" Karin slowly got up and walked over to her brother. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She cried into his stomach, letting all the pain flow away. Ichigo was surprised at first, but then wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.

"Don't worry I am here for you. Just let it out." Ichigo said softly to her.

It wasn't long before she fell asleep so Ichigo picked her up carefully and brought her back into the waiting room. He walked over the couch and carefully put her down there. Ichigo takes a few steps back then glances at everyone in the room, taking in the people who showed up.

"What happened?" Ichigo asks to no one in particular. "Hitsugaya-Taicho jumped in front of a car to push Karin-chan out of the way. He is currently in the process of getting surgery." Matsumoto said softly. "but before that Karin-chan and Taicho got into a fight. Don't worry Ichigo he didn't hit her." Matsumoto said as she watched Ichigo's face twist into an angry face, then calm down with that after thought.

"But isn't he already dead, he should have been able to come out in shinigami form?" Ichigo questioned. "He should have, but there were ambulances already there because some bystander called, plus those nerd friends of Karin were standing there."

"Why did they get into a fight?" a quiet voice came from Yuzu. "Because he called me names." Everyone turned towards Karin as she slowly sat up. "I am not going to sleep until I know he is better."

"_Hey Matsumoto, can you tell me about this girl named Hinamori? Please." Karin asked. _

"_Momo and my Taicho were childhood buddies. Momo had entered the Shinigami Academy and was training to become a Shinigami. Taicho and Momo would sit and watch the sunset, eating watermelons all the time. She was the first person to call him Shiro-chan, but he never let her. He would tell her to call him Hitsugaya instead. To this day she still calls him that even though she has to call Hitsugaya-Taicho instead." Matsumoto looked over at Karin before looking out the window in the front. _

"_Her Captain was a traitor and set up a false body that looked like him, to show he was murdered. He then wrote a false note to Momo saying that his murder was Taicho. They fought each other, Taicho didn't hurt her though. We recently found out the Aizen is still alive. He tried to kill Momo and Taicho. He almost succeeded as well. Aizen is still alive right now somewhere in a different world. He is the one sending down the hollows and menos right now."_

"_Did he love her?" Matsumoto looked at Karin softly before answering."I think he did, but he is confused if he still does or not." _

"_Am I anything like her?" Matsumoto sat thinking about that question for awhile. "To him you are everything and better, that's what I believe."_

"Karin you have to sleep, you'll get sick if you don't and Taicho wouldn't like it if you got sick now." Matsumoto spoke to Karin. "But I have to…" Karin started.

"Excuse me? But Hitsugaya-san would like to speak with Kurosaki Karin." Everyone turned to the nurse that had just entered the waiting room. "He's awake? But he just got out of surgery." Ichigo asked the nurse.

"Yes, but it seems like he has awaken long enough to talk to a Kurosaki Karin. The surgery was a success. We are lucky that his head wasn't damage anymore, or he might not have survived. Now Kurosaki Karin can you please follow me." The nurse waited for Karin to walk up beside her before walking down the hallway.

The nurse opened the door and let Karin walk in before shutting the door quietly then leaving. Karin slowly walked up to Toshiro looking at the ground afraid to see his injuries. "Karin… did you get hurt?"

Karin looked up from the ground to Toshiro laying there looking at the roof. His head was bandaged on the top, covering his white hair, his torso was uncovered but had bandages wrapped the middle and lower half of his body. His foot was lifted off the mattress and into a sling coming from the roof. He also had IVs hooked into his right arm.

"Why are you asking me that?! You were the one hit by the car! Why are you asking if I got hurt!?" Karin yelled at him. "I am sorry I called you a bitch." Karin looked at Toshio, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Why did you have to get hurt." Karin sat in the chair beside him and put her head on his arm where there was no bandage and IVs hooked up. She cried lightly into his arm. "Why…"

"I wouldn't be here thought if stupid bystander called. Remember I am already dead." Toshiro tried to erase the guilt from Karin.

"Karin…I am also glad you didn't get hurt." Karin looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. "If you had gotten hurt, I don't know what I would have done. I'll protect…" Karin watched as Toshiro slowly drifted off to sleep. She smiled to herself, the kissed his forehead. She left her head on his arm and she herself fell asleep as well. She didn't notice that when she kissed his forehead he was awake enough to know what was going on. He smiled when he saw her fall asleep.

"Karin…I'll protect you... forever…" Toshiro closed his eyes and drifted off to a blissful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun rose early in the morning that day

The sun rose early in the morning that day. When Karin had finally woken up around noon she noticed she had a wool blanket placed on her, and all her friends sitting in the room chatting with each other. She looked at Toshiro wondering if he was awake as well. Her dark blue eyes met with light blue eyes. Toshiro smiled lightly at her before turning his face into a scowl.

"Finally you're up; your fat head was weighing my good arm down." Karin glanced at him wondering about his switch in his personality about. That was when she remembered everyone was in the room.

"Shut up. What times is it." She asked no one in particular. "1:00 pm…why?" answered Yumichika. "No reason…so why are you all in here?" She asked.

"Well Karin-chan if you don't remember, you fell asleep on Hitsugaya-Taicho's arm after kissing is forehead, and him saying I'll protect you forever. That's when we entered. We have been here since then." Rukia answered smugly.

"You heard/saw that!" yelled Toshiro and Karin in unison. "Haha yeah we did. Now listen before Ichigo gets here I suggest you make a ru-" Rukia started.

"She's too late now." Ichigo was mad; he put down the cups of tea down on the table before turning to Karin. "Karin…now we need to talk…do you know anything about the birds and bees?"

"…yeah…" Karin mumbled softly blushing

"Kurosaki…what the hell are you talking about? Birds live in trees and bees live in hives…why are you asking that question?" Toshiro asked Ichigo.

"What! You never learned about that from the Soul Society?" Ichigo exclaimed. "What are you talking about? And Karin where are you going, where did everyone go?"

Ichigo glanced around the room then sighed. "Karin sit down, now." Karin slowly walked back to her spot beside Toshiro.

"I guess it can't be helped…" Toshiro looked at Karin then at Ichigo confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Toshiro you better get comfortable. Karin I suggest you do so as well." Ichigo started his vast tale in much detail as possible so they would get the idea. His story length was what seemed like forever for poor Toshiro and Karin.

_2 hours later_

"And that is the birds and bees." Ichigo finished off awkwardly. He glanced up at Toshiro first. Toshiro sat there with a major blush on his face and a trail of blood running out of his nose. He chuckled to himself knowing that the kid would never look at a girl normally ever again. He glanced at Karin with interest wondering how well she survived. Karin also had a blush on her face, and was looking down at the ground awkwardly.

"Well Toshiro do you understand?" Ichigo turned back to Toshiro just in time to see him nod lightly before turning his head towards the window and away from Karin. "Good now I must be going now dear sister and Toshiro. Farewell." Ichigo laughed out of the room quite loudly with everyone glaring at him as he walked by.

"So…Karin…" Toshiro began awkwardly. "Yeah what is it Shiro-chan…?" Karin asked just as awkwardly.

"…never mind…" Toshiro glanced at the window noticing there was red dripping from his nose. He quickly wiped it on his pillow hoping no one saw that. "Shiro-chan... what were you going to say?" Karin asked.

"It was nothing! God woman when someone says never mind then drop it!" Toshiro yelled out. "You have no right speaking like that to me SHORTY!" She countered back.

"I am not short!" "Yes you are!" "No!" "Yes"

"Well at least I look like my gender."

"Did you just call me a dude?" Toshiro was getting nervous now, her voice was deadly and the room temperature had just dropped. "I am sorry…?" Toshiro said awkwardly.

"You better be!" Karin yelled at him before walking out of the room, slamming the door on her way out. Toshiro sighed under his breathe, before turning towards the window watching the world go by slowly. "What is wrong with me?"

Karin stomped through the hospital glaring at anyone who had the guts to approach her. She was absorbed in her thoughts not really paying attention to were she was going at all. She made a couple left turns, a right turn here or there… and then she got lost.

"I can't believe him! He is such a jerk! Wait where am I?" Karin glanced around the hallway trying to identify which rooms she was near by to see if maybe she would recognize them. The lights flashed on and off, before staying off.

"What the hell? Okay what's going on?" she mumbled. "HEHE LITTLE GIRL LITTLE GIRL….COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE! I NEED YOU…I NEED YOU BADLY…COME TO ME….COME TO ME **NOW**!"

_Point of View change_

I glanced around shakily through the darkness surrounding me. A hollow… no… it's to strong for a hollow. What is it! I turned around quickly running in which I hoped was a direction away from the monster.

"Crap!" I glanced up towards the number on the door, but I couldn't make it out in this dark. I grabbed the handle turning quickly while pushing on the door. The door wouldn't budge. Crap! Shiro-Chan…Ichi-nii someone please help me! Wait there is another reiatsu coming towards me. Who though…

"Karin-Chan!" Matsumoto ran towards me, standing in a protective stance in front of me. "Are you okay?

"Hai…I am okay…" I mumbled. "Thank goodness, if something happened to you Taicho would kill me multiple times over." Matsumoto laughed. "Now Karin-Chan why were you down this hallway?"

"Wait… didn't you feel that presence? It was with me the whole time."

"Yeah I felt it but when I arrived it vanished. I don't know what it was but it was defiantly after you. Now come on, everyone is looking for you." Matsumoto grabbed my hand pulling me away from the deserted hallway quickly.

She pulled me along for a couple minutes before she decided it was safe for me to walk by myself. I glanced around the hallway trying to pinpoint where we were going. It took awhile but when I realized we were heading towards Toshiro's room I stopped walking all together. I refuse to go near him. I hated him! He was always calling me these names…wait…I am always calling him names too, yet when he calls me something I overreact. Oh my gosh, I have been a bitch lately. I had no right to call him anything without him calling me anything back. I have to apologize to him right now. I quickly ran ahead of Matsumoto, I had to get there quickly. I ran past several doors glancing at the numbers looking for the right one. There! I ran towards door 245 and opened with such velocity that the force blew me forward where I landed on my face.

"Itai…" I looked up feeling a whole bunch of eyes on me. Everyone was in the room with a surprised look on their face. Orihime was standing over Toshiro, her Souten Kishun activated over Toshiro. "Ano…what is going on?" I asked slightly dizzy from the sudden impact with the ground.

"Ah Kurosaki-Chan! Welcome back!" Orihime smiled at me. I glanced at Toshiro noticing for the first time that he was asleep. "Orihime is healing Hitsugaya-Taicho for us. We need to prepare fo-"

"Rukia! You can't tell her! She doesn't need to know!" Ichigo interrupted Rukia.

"What are you guys talking about? What can't I know! Tell me please!" I asked. Why was it that I was being left out off the loop again? I wanted to know!

"Wait…I know Ichi-nii and Toshiro are both Shinigami, as well as Matsumoto but how do you guys know each other. I think Rukia-nee is also one to but what are Shinigami?" I looked at every in the face but they all turned there eyes away from me just as quickly. "Why won't anyone tell me what is going on!"

"Karin-Chan I am sorry…" Matsumoto turned around looking at her Taicho before turning back to me. I saw her hand move towards me quickly. I know what was going to happen now she was going to knock me out. No I am not letting her do that to me! No!

I felt a sudden pressure in the room before everything and everyone vanished from my sight. I was standing in the soccer field suddenly. I glanced around quickly, thinking back to the events that just happened wondering how I got here.

"_**Karin…it is nice to meet you for the first time." **_ I glanced around trying to find where that voice was coming from. I was pretty sure it came from behind me but there was no one there. Now I was freaked out.

"_**I am not there; you must open your heart to me, open your ears, and open your eyes. Then we will become one. Then you will have the power to protect. Karin please hurry before the great catastrophe happens." **_

The voice faded out and so did the soccer field. I opened my eyes slowly; I first saw a roof and a lot of blurs. The images grew clearer relieving people surrounding me. "Where am I?" I asked to the unidentified people around me.

"Karin-Chan! Thank goodness you're alive. You're in the hospital still." Matsumoto spoke quietly. "Then what happened to me?" I asked.

"We wanted to ask that to you. So you don't know anything that happened?" Ichigo asked me.

'_**Karin…you must ask them about the upcoming war.' **_I glanced around staring everyone in the eyes wondering who spoke in that majestic voice.

'_**They cannot hear me…I am a part of you, now hurry and ask about the winter war.'**_ A war? What war?

"Ano…what's this winter war about?" Everyone's eyes around me opened wide with fear and shock. I looked at them curious about their reactions.

"Um...Karin how did you know about that?" Rukia asked me calmly. "A voice told me."

'_**They will not understand you; you must keep quiet about me, just until you awaken your soul.'**_

'_Wait! What do you mean awaken my soul?' _

'_**The answers will come in time. Patience is a key to flying without wings.'**_

'_Okay…'_

"Karin? What do you mean a voice?" Ichigo asked me. "Never mind that…just tell me about this winter war." I asked stubbornly.

"I guess it can't be helped." Rukia stated. I listened intently to the story of the Soul Society as they called it… the betrayal of 3 Taichos… and the upcoming war. All the questions I had were answered expect one.

"I knew about a little about the Taichos from Toshiro but why did he send down you guys?" I asked. "To protect the humans in Karakura from the Hollows and the Menos being sent here by Aizen." Matsumoto answered.

"I see…well then I want to become a Shinigami too!" I exclaimed. "No." Ichigo grumbled. "Why can't I?" I yelled at him.

"Because it is too dangerous for you! My answer is no and that means no!" Ichigo walked out of the room Rukia following behind him. "…" I glared at the door before walking to the seat beside Toshiro's bed. I watched quietly as Orihime healed the wounds he was inflicted with.

'_**Karin, you must know that he does it for your good. He doesn't want you to get hurt. You must listen to what he says for now. Listen to what your heart says.'**_

'_Can you please tell me your name?_' I asked the voice.

'_**I am sorry but you would not be able to hear what I am telling you. Not yet anyways.'**_

"Karin-Chan? Toshiro should wake up anytime now. When he awakens call the doctor and get him checked out. Then you and him will leave and head over to Urahara-San's house. I am going to head home now." Orihime quickly gathered her belongings and left the hospital room quickly. I glanced over at Toshiro watching his breathing rise up then down.

"Shiro-Chan…I am sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn't have taken the teasing that far…I am sorry…"I closed my eyes and fell asleep in the chair beside him.

I opened my eyes to see that I was in the soccer field again. This time there was a person standing there. Her hair was white and flowed around her like flames licking at oxygen. She wore a simple Shinigami outfit but it was red and when it moved it looked like it turned white. She was tall with her hair reaching just above her ankles. She wore a flower in her hair made of ice, and a ribbon on the other side. Now that I look closely ribbons where braded through her hair with long ends following in the slight breeze.

I gasped at her beauty and elegance. I slowly walked up to her curious as to who she was really. She turned around and looked at me. It was a weird feeling; she turned with such elegance it was like she was dancing. Her eyes caught mine, black and pale blue.

"_**Karin…it is a pleasure to meet you in person."**_

"You're the voice in my head." I asked stunned.

"_**Yes I am… I never would have guessed you would be ready to wield me at such an age. But you have surprised more then just me."**_

"What are you talking about? Who else have surprised?"

"_**Kuroi honoo please come out." **_

"_**AS YOU WISH…" **_I watched in silence as a male appeared beside the women. I was also shocked by his appearance. He had short black hair spiked randomly with what looked like red mixed in with it. He was just as tall as the women, maybe a little taller. He wore a Shinigami outfit as well expect his was all red and when it moved it turned black. His eyes were red with black outlines within. Now what did that girl say his name was. Kur…Kur… what was it.

"_**Karin…you must open your ears and your heart to hear his name. I'll say it again for you. His name was…" **_

'KARIN WAKE UP!' The soccer field slowly disappeared along with it was the man and women. I glared at the person who woke me up, hoping maybe they'll burn up in my death glare. Isshin just blinked slowly before running at me then lunging in mid-step. Before he could reach me I kicked him in the face sending him through the wall and into the street.

Everyone just sweat dropped at the scene before continuing on their merrily way. I decided it was time to take notice as to where I was and who was here. The first thing I noticed was that I was in Ichigo's room. Second thing I noticed was that only Ichi-nii, Rukia-nee, Shiro-chan, Matsumoto, and Ikkaku were here.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Chad and Renji are out training right now. Yumichika was called back to the Soul Society; Ririn, Nova, and Cloud are with Urahara in his shop along with Jinata, Ururu, and Tessai. Everyone else I have no idea." Ikkaku replied.

"Okay…Now baldy tell me how did I get here?"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!? I AM NOT BALD!" Ikkaku got a crazed look in his eye before running out of the room, yelling profanity all over town. I just sighed at his behavior before turning to one of the others in the room hoping they could elaborate for me.

"I was let out of the hospital, so Kurosaki carried you home since you were sleeping." I looked over at Toshiro taking note that he did look way better. "Do you always get straight to the point?" I asked him rolling my eyes.

"What's that suppose to mean?!" He yelled at me. "It means a whole lot elementary student!" I yelled back at him.

"I am not an elementary student!"

"You sure look like one." I laughed at him patting the top of his head knowing it would piss me off.

"How come you to are still extremely close, even after I told you the Birds and Bees?" Ichi-nii questioned. So I was right, Ichi-nii did want to separate me and Toshi but why?

My hand was on top of Toshiro's head still and both I and he were looking over at Ichigo, I glanced at Toshiro gauging his reaction. His face was awkwardly red and glaring at my baka of a brother. I removed my hand quickly and turned away from Toshiro and glared at Ichi-nii again.

"Why do you not want me to hang out with shorty?" I asked back. Ha take that baka, try to answer that without making yourself seem worse.

"He is a shinigami and you are not." I bowed my head down in dejection. I didn't think he would he would be blunt about. "Then what about you and Rukia. She is a Shinigami; you are just some kind of spare." I countered. I looked at Rukia-nee whose face seemed to have darkened with color.

"That is none of your business." He growled at me. "Then mind your own business as well." I sneered. I grabbed Toshiro's hand and walked out of the room leaving a baffled group and very stunned Toshiro being pulled along. His face was getting redder for some reason. Weird.

I pulled Shiro-chan with me to the area where I knew I could just relax and think. I let go of his hand and we walked in pace together. I slowed down to a complete stop when we reached the hill right before the railing. I looked at the top of the hill and tried to remember the name in my dream.

"Karin…what are you thinking about?" A voice cam out of nowhere. I screamed before throwing a spinning kick to my intruder. When the person caught my foot I took the time to look at the intruder. I sighed in relief as it was just Shiro-chan.

"Ah gomen Shiro-chan." I lifted my foot out of his hand and set it on the ground quietly before walking onwards.

"I was just thinking about what was going to happen after the war was over." I lied; I didn't want him to know about my dream, not yet anyways.

"Karin…I know you're lying to me. And don't worry about the war either." Toshiro spoke up.

I looked up at him quickly surprised that he knew what I was lying. I decided not to say thing and just walk in silence. After a few minutes I felt him grab my hand in his. I smiled then laced my fingers with his. I felt him tense a little bit then relax right after. I stepped closer to him and laid my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his waist. He snaked his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to his body. We walked in silence all around Karakura Park nearby, enjoying each others silence.

"Taicho where are you! Karin-chan!" We both bolted away from each other and were on look out for Matsumoto. In a couple of seconds later Matsumoto burst from the tree line, running towards her Taicho, stopping in time so she didn't collide into him.

"You two have been gone a really long time. Everyone was getting worried that something happened to you guys." She spoke in a rush.

"Sorry we made you worry." I spoke quietly before heading off towards my house. "Are you guys coming or not?" I yelled behind me.

The walk home was uneventful and very quiet. I walked into the house only to be attempted tackle by Otou-san. I quickly kicked him in the stomach before walking into the kitchen towards Yuzu.

"Onee-chan! Your back! Supper is going to be ready soon, I glad you made it back in time." Yuzu smiled at me, she quickly turned around and continued on preparing supper.

I sighed to myself quietly walking towards the staircase to my room. I walked into my sister's and mine room and headed over to my bed. I flung myself onto the bed lying on my side towards the wall.

'_**Karin…you are almost ready to hear his name but a long time until you hear my name. Search your soul, scout out for the name.'**_

'_Search my soul. Let's see… it started with Kur… but what was it. Kuroi…Kuroi what!!_' I grumbled to myself turning onto my back glaring at the ceiling.

'_**Karin… you almost have it. I shall say it one more time for you. Maybe my voice will reach you. His name is Kuroi Honoo.'**_

'_Kuroi Honoo? Was that his name?' _

Again I felt a huge reiatsu coming somewhere but I couldn't tell. Last time it was strong, but this time it was intense. I opened my eyes blinking out the dancing lights that showed up.

I took a look around committing the area to memory. This time I was in a warehouse. The place was dark and majestic at the same time. I felt a familiar reiatsu somewhere around me. I put myself on guard for no reason when I saw Kuroi Honoo walk up to me. His robes fluttered with every step his, eyes watching mine.

"_**YOU HAVE CALLED KARIN-SAMA?"**_ His voice was deep but it rang with a tone of royalty.

"Karin-sama?" I asked him, "Can I ask you something?"

"_**ANYTHING KARIN-SAMA?"**_

"Where am I, and who are you?"

"_**YOU ARE IN YOUR SOUL OR MINDSCAPE. I AM KUROI HONOO OR JUST KUROI. I AM OTHERWISE KNOWN AS YOUR ZANPAKU-TO. ACUTALLY I AM ONLY ONE PART OF YOUT ZANPAKU-TO."**_

"I have a Zanpaku-to..."

Kuroi Honoo- means Black Flame.


	4. Chapter 4

"_**Hai. Expect your Zanpaku-to is special. It has three parts to it." **_ I watched as the women walked up towards me and Kuroi.

"What do you mean three parts?" I asked impatiently. I know there was two different parts of a Zanpaku-to but three… that was unheard of.

"_**Hai…you have three parts to your Zanpaku-to. Kuroi Honoo is the first part, and will be the part you most use. I am the second part and our leader is the final part.**_

"_**First you must call out to your blade then you will begin your training. You must call it out without any of our help at all. Karin I bid you good luck on your journey." **_The mysterious women disappeared in a clash of white fire. I watched wishing that I could do that.

"So Kuroi… What does she mean call out to my blade, I thought that was you"

"_**SHE MEANS CALL TO YOUR BLADE. IT'S TRUE NAME. YOU MUST CONCENTRATE ON THE DEEPTH OF YOUR SOUL. I AM A PART OF THE BLADE BUT NOT THE ACTUALLY WEAPON, JUST A MANIFESTATION OF IT."**_

"Okay. So concentrate." I sat upon the top the stairwell nearby. I closed my eyes hoping maybe that is I sat long enough the name would just come to me. I sat there for hours not hearing anything at all. Maybe if I sat longer…okay that theory does not work at all. Wait I just heard something. It was fuzzy at first but it was getting clearer. Honoo…that was all I could make out right now. So Honoo (Flame)… but Honoo what?

"Calm down Karin, calm down…frustration gets you no where. Now just think of nothing, clear my mind. Deep breaths…in and out." I mumbled to myself.

"Honoo…no…ten… " I opened my eyes and stood up quickly. I ran down the stairs almost tripping on the way down. I walked to Kuroi who was mediating in mid-air. He opened his eyes, descending to the ground also.

"_**KARIN-SAMA…HAVE YOU FIGURED IT OUT?" **_He asked me patiently. "Hai…I think I have…"

"_**THEN CALL OUT THE NAME OF YOUR ZANPAKU-TO…AND WE SHALL SEE…"**_

I turned my back to Kuroi and stood there awkwardly reaching my hand out to the nothingness in the air.

"Honoo no ten!" I called out. There was a great rush of reiatsu and a huge amount was gathered in front of my hand. Out of nowhere a blade materialized, its hilt was in my hand and it grew outward slowly. The blade looked like it would weigh a great deal but it weighed nothing in my hand. The blade itself wasn't silver like most; in fact it was actually gold. Its hilt was a brilliant white with black lines entangled all around it. On the guard I could see a large bird with 7 tails wrap around the guard and onto the hilt. It was so pretty.

"_**IT SEEMS AS YOU WERE RIGHT ON HIS NAME YOUNG MASTER." **_I quickly turned to Kuroi who was on his knee bowing his head to me. Nobody has ever called me master then bows their head to me, it was a weird feeling. I shifted uncomfortably for a second then walked up to Kuroi.

"You don't have to bow to me or call me master. I wish that you and I could be friends." I smiled at him then turned around back to the stairwell. _**"FRIENDS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"**_ I looked at Kuroi with a mixture of shock and confusion on my face. When I got control of my face again I looked up through a hole in the ceiling glancing at the stars.

"I mean you and me be friends. You can call me Karin-san or just Karin…you don't bow to me or call me master. Friends." I stated simply. I lifted the Zanpaku-to up and glanced over the blade. It really was a magnificent blade.

"_**SURE WE COULD BE…FRIENDS…"**_ I smiled at Kuroi before looking back at the blade. "So Kuroi how do you use this?" I turned the blade over and over, swung it once in a while, before putting the blade beside me.

"_**FIRST YOU MUST GO BACK TO YOUR TIME, AND BECOME A SOUL REAPER. THERE YOU MUST CALL OUT TO YOUR BLADE AND TRAIN… ONCE YOU HAVE…WE WILL CALL YOU AND YOU WILL BEGIN TRAINING WITH US." **_ Well that sounded fun. So firsts first…become a soul reaper.

"Alright then I am leaving. I'll see yeah soon Kuroi!" I waved before closing my eyes.

I reopened my eyes and saw the ceiling of my room again. I smiled to myself. I got of my bed and ran to the door opening it quickly. I almost took a step but a pair of teal eyes stared me down. There was a hand to the right of my head placed about 2 cm away from were my door should have been.

"Shiro-chan? What are you doing here?" I took three steps backwards away from the close contact with him.

"I was coming to check on you. But I guess I don't have to." Toshiro turned his back to me and slowly walked away from me. "Oh yeah dinner's ready." He called over his shoulder.

"Oh okay." I jogged up beside him and fell in step with him. He turned his head and gave me a small smile before grabbing my hand in his. I laced my fingers with his and continued walking beside him. We got the bottom of the stairs and we both let go of each others hand quickly. Ichigo was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for us. He had his arms crossed and his feet tapping the ground loudly. I glanced at Toshiro, who was in return glaring back at my brother.

"Hello Ichi-nii… how's it going?" I stated awkwardly. "Nothing dear sister of mine…nothing at all." He said slowly

"That's good Ichi-nii, now if you must can you please move so Toshiro and I can go and eat dinner." I sweetly told him. It was war between Ichi-nii and me now…it was on!

"I am sorry dear sister, but it appears that my feet have been glued to the ground right here."

"Oh now isn't that horrible… I think Rukia-nee is somewhere around here. She might be able to help you. I have places to go, and that includes not helping a baka like you"

"Sister, aren't you devious… but I am afraid Rukia is nowhere near here."

"What are you talking about Ichigo I am right here?" Rukia spoke up. "EH! Your not suppose to be here!" Ichigo called out. "I am not! You idiot! I have been here all day!"

"Well go home!"

"I can't go home you idiot!"

"Then go away!"

"I can't dinner is ready… Oh I see you don't want me here… do you?!"

I inched away slowly before bolting behind the two of them with Shiro-chan following behind me. I sweat dropped at the usual antics of those two. I heard Shiro-chan sigh to himself, which obviously was not to himself. "Hey what's wrong Shiro-chan?"

"Iie. Nothing is wrong… I just wish I could have sometime to myself with you, where no one interrupts us." He sighed again walking ahead of me to the kitchen. I stood there shocked that he wanted me to himself once in a while. Wait that wasn't a Shiro-chan type of move, actually he hasn't been acting like himself lately, yet he has at the same time. I walked into the kitchen slowly, unaware of the looks I was getting.

"Onee-chan? Did something happen your face is all red…are you okay?" I looked over at Shiro-chan who was smirking to himself with a pair of chopsticks sticking out of his mouth. He played me like a fool oh I am so going to kill him.

"Toshiro! You better run you smug pompous idiot!" I screamed.

"Why should I? You wouldn't be able to catch up to me, fatty." He smirked at me before continuing on his merry way. "Just you watch…" I sat down at the other end of the table. I picked up a fork and placed some rice and curry on it. I pulled the fork back and flung it straight at him. He merely tilted his head and let it fly past him. He moved his head back and smirked at me.

"Was that supposed to hit me?" He said. "You're an ass you know?" I growled.

"Yeah but you know you love me." Again he smirked. "I hate you so much!"

I brought back my fork again and flung the food on it. This time he dodged it to the other side of his head. Oh so that's how he wants to play. I scooped up a handful of rice in both of my hands. I flung the first one and just as I predicted he dodged. I threw the second handful and it hit him square in the face.

I laughed watching the rice slide down his face, some sticking to him, the rest in his white hair. He picked up a handful of rice and chucked it at me as well. I dodged just as he did and got a face full of sushi right after. I wiped the fish and rice of my face and glared at him. He just smirked at me before wiping the food off his face.

"You're going to pay for that."

"With what a kiss of death." He answered smugly. "You are so full of yourself elementary student!!" I smirked watching as his eye slowly twitched.

"I am no!" I knew what buttons to push to get him mad. "Then why are you so short…elementary student." I said the last part slower then usually so he would get the point, and boy did he ever get the point. He had scoped a bunch of different types of food, and flung them at me with rapid fire. I was able to just barely dodge the first two, but the other six hit me square in the face.

"Does that hurt Karin-chan?" He smirked. "Shut up." I stood up and walked over to Yuzu who was taking cover behind the counter, "that was a delicious dinner. I am going to wash up then head to bed. Good night."

I heard a timid goodnight before I turned and walked to the stairwell. I reached the top of the stairs, I paused hearing Ichigo scream profanity over the mess in the kitchen. I laughed and headed to the shower.

I took my shower making sure I got all the food out of my hair. I wrapped a towel around my body and headed to the hallway. I stepped into my room, locking the door and changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I unlocked the door so my sister could come in; I walked to my bed and just laid there staring at the ceiling.

'_What is up with him!? One second he's all lovey dovey and crap the next second he's a jerk.'_ I turned over on my side. I went over what happened today before nodding off to sleep.

The next morning came way to fast for me, I needed more sleep. Stupid Shiro-chan in my dreams kept me restless all night, with his sudden mood changes. Kami-sama he even pisses me off in my dreams. I grimly walked down stairs; I was at the last step when I heard a couple of voices. I hid behind the wall just in front of the staircase. I tuned into the conversation trying to catch as much words as I could. I recognized the voices after a while… they were Shiro-chan's and Matsumoto's voices.

"Matsumoto…the Captain-Commander as order us to head back to the Soul Society as soon as we can. He said the latest was in about a week's time. He said to make sure everything would be alright when we left."

"But Taicho, what about Karakura…who is going to watch out for the hollows and menos?"

"He said to forget about Karakura right now since Kurosaki is going to be able to fight now."

"But Taicho… what about Karin-chan?" I could tell that Toshiro was thinking over his words carefully before replying. "We must forget her as well…" He replied after a while. I gasped under my breath a little too loudly because Toshiro spun around the corner less then a second later. We stared each other down, I gave up first, and I ran out the door as fast as I could.

I ran for ten minutes before stopping to catch my breath. I lifted my head up, looking behind me then to the front of me. I took one step, and then looked to my left. Sitting in an empty lot was Urahara's Shoten. I walked up to the doors carefully opening them.

"Hello…anyone here!?" I walked around the shop glancing at the types of candy in the shelves.

"Ah hello Karin-san… how can I help you?" Urahara stepped out from the curtain to my left. He wore his usual green and white stripped hat, with green clothing. He was holding a fan just above his chin, just low enough so I could see him smile.

"You trained my brother didn't you?" I asked the weird man. "Ah I was the one to train him in the art of Shinigami…and if I am not mistaking you also wish to be a Shinigami…am I right?" Holy crap does this guys read minds or something!

"Yeah I do… how did you know?"

"Lucky guess…" I just sweat dropped at his choice of wording. "Okay then… so can you train me?" I asked the hat and clogs man.

"I suppose so… it seems as another Kurosaki legend will begin…neh?" He smiled at me, and beckoned me to follow him. I trailed behind me, taking in the buildings pattern and the places everything was in. We walked into a room with a door on the ground. Mr. Hat-and-clogs was standing beside the door smiling at me again.

"Just down here, then you will begin your training to become a Shinigami." He opened the door and shoved me down the ladder. I landed at the bottom with a thud. I rubbed my bottom, easing the pain.

"Holy crap! This is underneath that puny shop of yours?!" I yelled. Underneath the shop was a huge training ground or it was just a wide open mountainous land underneath. Either/or it was still pretty cool.

"Now tell me, what do you know about Shinigami?" Urahara asked me. I told him what I knew, and he just nodded slowly.

"Okay… Now let's begin!" Hats and clogs thrust his cane at my forehead quickly. I watched as my body flew in front of me and landed with a thud on the ground. I looked at my chest and sure enough there was a chain attached to me. My wardrobe didn't change at all, nothing changed expect it was harder to get air to my lungs and the chain attached to me.

"Your first task is to knock out Ururu before she knocks you out." I glanced at the little girl wearing a padded helmet and gloves. She stood there looking at me shyly holding out a pair of gloves and a helmet as well. I looked at Mr. Hats and Clogs then towards the girl and then back again. I silently grabbed the gear and quickly strapped it on.

"So all I have to do is knock her out before I get knocked out?" Easy…I had speed and power from all the soccer I play.

"Yup!" He sang at me.

"Okay…this will be easy then…" I turned to Ururu, but she wasn't standing in front of me anymore. I turned around quickly only to get punched in the face by Ururu. I flew back and smashed through a couple of boulders before stopping.

'_How did I just survive that?!' _

I looked up again and saw Ururu running towards me again. She threw another punch, this time I dodged it but just barely. I could feel the blood in my hair and all over my back from the first hit. Her second punch my have just missed but it still cut the side of my face. I looked up at her shocked; I turned around and bolted for the closest boulder to hide behind. It seemed though every time I came to one she would blow it up. I needed to fight back or I will never survive this way.

"_**Karin…it is time to unlock the first blade for your Zanpaku-to…Honoo no Ten. Call the blades name... and it shall lead you in the right direction."**_

"Okay. Understood." I ran behind some more boulders, but when I got there she was standing there already. I threw a punch at her, whom she dodged; I followed up with a quick round-house kick. She caught the kick; she lifted me up and chucked me over her shoulder. I flew through some huge ass boulders. She was in my face in a second again, throwing more punches at me, expect this time I was ready. I dodged them, getting nicked once in awhile. I jumped away and ran away again. I dodged her punches as she threw them, ducked under her kicks, and ran away. It was a never ending process. I had to call out to Honoo no Ten or I might not survive to live again.

I spun around, my one foot dragging on the ground drawing a half circle around me. I faced Ururu who had bruises and a few cuts when I actually managed to hit her. I let off a whole bunch of reiatsu, which spun wildly around me. I turned to Hat and Clogs, who had a 'oh I wonder what she is up to now' smirk on. I shook my head then turned my focus back on Ururu. I concentrated on the feeling I had when I first summoned my Zanpaku-to. I latched onto the feeling.

"HONOO NO TEN!" I screamed. I could feel the reiatsu change then shape itself into the blade and hilt. The phoenix was still there, and so was the seven tails. "Oh so you know your Zanpaku-to's name do you? Will I guess the first lesson is over? Ururu good job! Karin-chan!" Urahara spoke.

"EH!! But I have to knock her out to win…and I didn't knock her out." Okay Hat and Clogs explain."This lesson was about surviving. When you are pushed to survive your reiatsu level will increase. So since you survived, you pass." He smiled at me. "But I had no idea that you knew your Zanpaku-to's name. If you told me that we could have skipped this step. Oh well can't be helped." He smiled at me again, but this one was more of a 'mischievous I have something planned smile'.

"Oka...y…then… so what's next?"

"This." He pulled out a sword from his cane and cut my chain of fate. I glanced down in surprise, and then I realized what would happen when it was cut. "The chain! Why did you cut it! I need that to get back to my body; I am going to die now!" I screamed at him.

"Lesson 2 initiated." He slammed his cane on the ground. A huge hole appeared underneath me. I went to move my hands but they were restricted by some kind of magic.

"Bakudou 99: Kin-restrict. Sorry Kurosaki-chan but I must restrict your arms." I turned to Tessai in shock; I didn't even realize he was down here with me."

"Lesson 2: The shattered shaft. You must get to the top before the chain of fate eats itself or encroachment. You have 72 hours to get to the top, if you don't you will turn into a hollow and we will be forced to kill you. Good luck Karin-chan!" Hat and Clogs smiled at me; he disappeared from my view shortly after.

"Don't say something like that so happily you creep." I mumbled. "Now there must be a trick to getting up to the top. But what could it be…"

"_**KARIN-SAMA…YOU MUST BECOME A SHINIGAMI TO ESCAPE THE ENCOARCHMENT."**_

'_Kuroi! So how do I do that?_' I asked him.

"_**FIGHT YOUR HOLLOW SIDE BEFORE TIME ENDS. YOU MUST FIRST COME HERE, THEN SHE WILL APPEAR, AND YOU WILL FIGHT." **_

'_Thank you I think…okay I am going to win!'_ I shouted to Kuroi. I sat in a mediation position and cleared my mind. I opened my eyes and inspected the area I was in. I was in the soccer field expect parts of the field where turning black.

"Kuroi! Where are you?!"

"**Are you Karin?" **I turned to the voice behind him. There was a man standing there. He had a cloak on with a type of bird's feather all over it. His hair was long going to his waist; the golden tint would shine when ever he moved. There were seven long feathers in his hair; each would spin around his golden locks, the fall just above his waist as well. His eyes were a red, but they also had white and black in them as well.

"Hai…who are you."

"**I am your Zanpaku-to. My name is --." **

"I am sorry but what was that?"

"**It seems you still can't hear her name then. My true name will be revealed when you learn her name. But until then you can call me Honoo. As you might have been told or not but you are the second person to have this special Zanpaku-to. The first was unable to stand the power and died. You have. You were able to call out the sword and learn Kuroi's name. You are worthy to handle this Zanpaku-to."**

"**There are three stages to your sword unlike other Zanpaku-tos. You have the first form or Kuroi. He has only one release. Now your sword will always stay within its shikai form, so basically Kuroi is your Bankai release. When you learn of her name then you will gain her powers or the next level. She has 2 forms. The last level of your Zanpaku-to is me. I have one other form. You will rarely ever need to use my power on anyone. Do you understand?"**

"I think I do. So I have to learn to trust and control my blade or I will be killed by the power right?" I asked Honoo.

"**That is true. Now call out to your blade. You must hurry and destroy the hollow that is manifesting it. Hurry Karin." **Honoo burst it flame, leaving me alone on the empty soccer field.

"Honoo no Ten!" I cried out. The sword appeared in my hands, sparkling in the sun. I walked over to the darkened field corner, hoping maybe the hollow would come to me first. I slammed the sword into the ground right where the darkened part was.

"ARGHHHHH WHO DARE HIT ME! I'LL KILL YOU!" I backed away from the dark ground. The dark parts slowly came together forming a body, then details. It was me but it was the opposite colors as me. There was a hollow mask half formed on her head.

"AHAHA SO YOU HAVE COME TO ME YOU INSOLENT FOOL!" The girl took a couple steps toward me but I slashed quickly at her so she couldn't come any nearer.

"Stay away. I want nothing to do with you, if I have to I will kill myself to kill you then I will. Now prepare to die." I charged after the hollow Karin, swiping quickly slashes her and there. The hollow Karin just laughed before grabbing my sword and breaking the blade.

"SWORDS ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS THERE OWNERS…DIDN'T YOU KNOW THAT KARIN!" Hollow Karin rushed at me, and was in my face within seconds.

"NOW HOW DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" I smirked at the hollow Karin.

"With you gone and the war over." I slide under hollow Karin's arm; I rolled out of the way of her foot which slammed into the ground where my head would have been. I jumped up and ran towards the broken sword. I grabbed it and spun around deflecting a slash from the hollow Karin's sword she had grabbed. She slashed at me again and this time I spun around the blade and slashed her in the back with the jagged end. The hollow Karin screamed out in pain. My sword pulsed a couple times before reconstructing itself with the broken piece. I watched with fascination, another tail was added to the phoenix on the hilt.

Hollow Karin stood up her sword pulled over her head. She ran at me again, she would jab at me then got to a quick slash. I just glided in between the attacks. I pushed my sword through the hollows heart. I pushed the blade in as far as I could before pulling it out quickly again. The hollow Karin screamed out again. This time though she pulled in more of the darkness in, her hollow mask growing and covering more of her face.

"YOU WILL DIE HERE!"

She ran at me once again expect her movements were to fast for me to catch. I fell to my knees unable to stand with the slash in my abdomen. I lifted my hand to my face. My vision was fading on me quickly; I had to end it before I died. I pulled up all my reiatsu and pushed it into my sword. The Zanpaku-to pulsed again, then once more, the sword transformed on the final pulse. The blade was gold still but the phoenix began to move. The eight tails peeled off the sword and began moving on their own. I figured out I could control the tails with my reiatsu. I rushed at the hollow me again this time with confidence of a million.

"This will end now!" I yelled at her. I jabbed my sword into her stomach and wrapped the tails around her body, each one restricting her movement before crawling into her body and stabbing her various places.

"I don't need you like Ichi-nii does. I will gain my power myself and with the help of my friends. I don't need your power. So die!" I turned the blade in her stomach once more. The hollow Karin screamed one last scream before disintegrating. I smiled to myself.

"Haha I did it." I closed my eyes and imaged I was back to my normal state of mind. When I opened my eyes I looked up at the holes walls.

"I can do this!" I crouched down and pushed my reiatsu to my feet and unleashed the force right when I jumped. I skyrocketed out of the hole, landing a couple feet away. My back was facing the hole; I landed softly on my feet and turned around.

"Yatta! I did it!" I jumped in the air and pumped my arms in the air.

"Good job Karin. You are now a Shinigami." Hat and Clogs smiled at me. I looked down at my cloths. They were like Shiro-chans expect the white haori on top. I smiled at everyone before I collapsed on the ground.

"Lesson 2 is now complete so sleep young Kurosaki, tomorrow will be tougher. Tessai! Carry her upstairs, and heal any wounds she may have gained." Urahara shouted. "Yes sir!"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello again

"Argh…my friggn' head!" I opened my eyes for the first time for what seems like a long time. Well to me it does.

"So you are finally awake?" I turned my aching head towards the husky voice nearby."Shiro-Chan! When did you get here?" I exclaimed. "I've been here for a while. Are you okay?" He wasn't looking at me; his head was towards the corner of the wall.

"I thought you had to get ready and leave. Weren't you planning to forget everything that happened! How-."

My eyes were wide before I slowly closed them and leaned into him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he carefully placed his around my waist, he slowly pulled me closer into him. Our bodies were smashed against each other in both our attempts to get closer to one other. He slowly ended the kiss and backed away placing his forehead against mine.

"You ask too many questions." I opened my eyes and stared at his teal eyes that had a mischievous twinkle in them. He smirked at me before leaning in again, expects he turned his head and kissed me on the cheek instead.

"I wish you didn't get yourself hurt so much, I may end up dying worrying about you." He teased me.

I moved my head a little so I could see his eyes. He had them closed in content and his arms around me, pulling me into him; I leaned against Shiro-chan falling into a blissful sleep. I woke up to the sound of Shiro-chan's heart beating, I guess when we fell asleep he fell backwards with me lying on top of him.

"Rin-hime…" Shiro-chan mumbled softly before pulling me into him even more. I just smirked a little. I went up to his ear and softly bit it to see if he would awaken. I got no response expect for a light moan. Haha so now I know his weakness… this is going to be fun. I lifted my head up to his ear again but this time I licked it.

"…" He just turned onto his side pulling me with him. I yelped when I landed on my hand funny. It was weird because that was what caused him to wake up. "Karin? Where are we?" His eyes were dropped really low as if he hadn't awakened yet. I bit his ear once more and watched as he leaned his head away from me, and was trying not to moan again. I laughed.

"Well dummy…if you hadn't realized we are currently in Hat and Clogs shop." He just leaned his head on my shoulder and tried to fall asleep again. I shook his head with my hand softly telling him to wake up.

"Taicho! Where are you?" Toshiro lifted his head off my shoulder sighing. He backed away from me slowly.

"I am in here Matsumoto…" He called out. He smiled at me, winking soon after. I felt the blood rush up to my face very quickly. Toshiro stood up, shaking the sleep out of eyes, and put up a normal Shiro-chan face. '_The_ _scowl'_ is what I liked to call it. Matsumoto ran in soon after, smiling in the meanwhile. She frowned right after though and put a serious face on.

"Taicho…" she paused as if to bring the suspense to what she was saying, "I spent my entire amount of money can I borrow some of yours. I need to get gifts for everyone in Soul Society." She smiled again after. I turned to Toshiro who had a vein throbbing and his eye was twitching.

"You interrupted my sleep… just to tell me you ran out of money." He turned his back to her. "No…it's your fault you spent your money, now when we get back to the Soul Society you can tell everyone that instead of taking the time to look for your friends you went and looked for stuff for yourself. Now if you could kindly leave…I was in the middle of a small nap."

"Sleeping…but Taicho it looked more like you were sucking each others face." Matsumoto grinned at the collapsed Toshiro on the ground and at me, before skipping out of the room. "I swear I am going to fire that girl on day." Shiro-chan mumbled to himself.

"How long are you going to be gone for, when are you going to come back."

"Didn't I tell you that you ask too many questions? I well be coming back before the war hopefully to prepare the town and forces her for the final. I will be in the Soul Society for about 4 months if they don't attack too soon, or something doesn't happen."

"Four months… could I go with you? I am Shinigami now…please…"

"Actually you still have one more lesson to learn." We both turned to Hat and Clogs who was standing at the door. "What are you talking about?" I asked impatiently.

"You only finished lesson 2 before you passed out…you still have one more lesson, then you are a Shinigami." He smiled at me pointing to the door that leads to the chamber. I groggily got up and stalked Urahara to the chamber. Shiro-chan also got up and followed us.

Urahara slammed his cane into my forehead right when I reached the bottom, I watched as my body fell to the ground in front of me again. I glanced at my cloths and I was indeed in a Shinigami outfit. My reached for my sword behind me grabbing the hilt, I swung it forward. I turned the blade sideways across my body. I stood calmly ready for anything.

"Lesson Three: You must knock my hat off my head without dying. There is no time limit." I nodded showing I understood what he said. I quickly closed the distance between the two of us and made a swipe for the hat. Urahara simply stepped to the side dodging the blade completely. I growled low in my throat, frustrated at how hard this was going to be. I swung Honoo no ten a couple more times, missing him each time. I jumped back, dodging the quick strike he threw at me with his cane.

Urahara grinned at me pulling off the sheath on his supposedly cane. My advantage I thought I had was immediately gone. I smirked knowing now that this was going to be fun.

"Let's go!" I yelled before charging at him.

I ran at him and our swords clashed. I jumped away and ran at him at a different angle. Once again he blocked. I slid under him and sliced a corner of his hat, but he moved before I could knock it off. He slashed his sword across my stomach, I looked down quickly. That was a mistake on my part when he cut my shoulder really deep.

'_Okay Karin just faces him and ignores the pain'._ He came in for another attack but I blocked it and jumped away.

I crouched on the ground holding my stomach as the blood seeped through. I ignored the pain and dodged Hat and Clogs next attempt to injure me again. I needed a plan to get close without getting hurt.

"_**KARIN-SAN. I AM GOING TO TEACH YOU THE FIRST RELEASE. REPEAT THIS. KAIHOU: KUROI HONOO"**_

"KAIHOU: KUROI HONOO!" I yelled out.

I felt a burst of energy burst from Honoo no ten. The power was in the form of fire expect it was black as night. The sword drew skinny and longer, the blade turned a black that gleamed when the light hit the blade. The guard morphed so that it spiraled around the long Zanpaku-to. The hilt was golden with a chain hanging of it. Attached to the chain was a black crescent blade, It looked like Shiro-chan's chain and blade expect the color and guard. I held it front of me again in a ready position.

"So you can release the blade too…magnificent!" Hat and Clogs smiled at me. I grinned then shunpo away. I reappeared in front Urahara and slashed at his hat. He brought his sword and met mine with a clash.

"Urahara-san! Some girl is here to see you!" Tessai called out from the trap door above. "Karin-chan I must take care of this. You should come as well." He smiled mischievously at me. I nodded and followed him up the ladder and into the common room.

Shiro-chan met up with me before we walked into the room and pulled me aside. He quickly healed my wounds with some kidou. When he finished healing the last wound he pulled me up to my feet and grabbed my waist. He lightly kissed me on the forehead and wrapped his hands around me. I leaned onto his chest listening to his heartbeat speed up.

"Does it hurt anymore?" He asked me quietly. I shook my head lightly on his chest. I smiled at him. He smirked at me."I am glad then." He whispered into my ear deeply. I shivered a little bit as his breath hit the back of my neck.

"Come on…let's go met this person my Rin-hime." I felt the blood rise to my checks again; I pushed the feeling away and nodded. He laced his hands in mine, and we walked into the room slowly.

I looked at the girl sitting at the table, she was smiling at Urahara. Her hair was put up into a bun that had a green fabric wrapped around it. She wore a Shinigami outfit with her sword on her belt on her waist. I felt Shiro-chan tense up as he grabbed my hand tighter, pulling me closer into him. The girl looked up at us, smiling. When she saw Shiro-can her smile grew bigger.

"Shiro-chan!" I looked at Toshiro then back at the girl. Who was she? Was she his girlfriend? "Hinamori…I told you its Hitsugaya-Taicho." He let go of my hand, walking over to the table to sit in front of this girl.

"_Hey Matsumoto, can you tell me about this girl named Hinamori? Please." Karin asked. _

"_Momo and my Taicho were childhood buddies. Momo had entered the Shinigami Academy and was training to become a Shinigami. Taicho and Momo would sit and watch the sunset, eating watermelons all the time. She was the first person to call him Shiro-chan, but he never let her. He would tell her to call him Hitsugaya instead. To this day she still calls him that even though she has to call Hitsugaya-Taicho instead." Matsumoto looked over at Karin before looking out the window in the front. _

"_Her Captain was a traitor and set up a false body that looked like him, to show he was murdered. He then wrote a false note to Momo saying that his murder was Taicho. They fought each other, Taicho didn't hurt her though. We recently found out the Aizen is still alive. He tried to kill Momo and Taicho. He almost succeeded as well. Aizen is still alive right now somewhere in a different world. He is the one sending down the hollows and menos right now."_

"_Did he love her?" Matsumoto looked at Karin softly before answering."I think he did, but he is confused if he still does or not." _

"_Am I anything like her?" Matsumoto sat thinking about that question for awhile, "to him you are everything and better, that's what I believe."_

I stood there looking at the girl and mentally comparing her to me. She was so beautiful, I wasn't; I have this average plain look that hurts to see someone Toshiro use to love be so pretty, when I wasn't. Why did he pick me over her? She was girly and had such an infectious personality; she could definitely take care of Toshiro. I sighed to myself; I walked out of the room, I didn't want to be near the two of them. Urahara noticed I was leaving and gave me a sign saying I had 2 hours. I nodded at him, shutting the door quietly.

_Point of View Change_

I stared at Hinamori memorizing her face to memory again. I noticed that she was glaring a bit at Karin when she noticed me and her. I moved my feet into a more comfortable position knowing this was going to be a long talk.

"Hinamori…what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come until later when I was leaving Karakura." I didn't want to tell Karin that the gate was ready already. I was hoping to stay with her for a little bit longer then leave to arrange a meeting with Sotaicho about her staying in the Soul Society, Hinamori ruined those plans.

"I decided to come earlier; I wanted to see Karakura, the place that captured your heart. Or maybe it was that girl." She was still smiling but I could see feel her reiatsu change and spike more.

"Hinamori... I am just here to protect this place while Kurosaki is training." I sighed to myself. I really wanted to hold Karin right now, she was an anti-drug, and I really needed her. I sighed again; I was paying attention to her reiatsu when she left. I noticed that it would spike then drop again.

"But Shiro-chan-" "Hitsugaya-Taicho." "- Kurosaki-san has this placed covered. You know that."

"You and I both know that he left once again to train with the Vizards, and he won't be back for a while. That's why they are sending you down to take mine and Matsumoto's place." I looked at the roof. My mind was wondering back to Karin again, I needed to clear my mind if I was to deal with Hinamori.

"Well it seems as though you must leave earlier then you wanted Taicho. What are you going to say to Karin-chan?" Urahara smiled at me creepily. He was planning this.

"Shiro-chan… who is this Karin-chan?" I felt the blood rush to my face but I squashed the feeling down again. "Kurosaki Karin is Kurosaki's sister." I spoke.

"I didn't know you called Karin-chan that…I was pretty sure I heard you say Rin-hime." I glared at Urahara. How did he hear that, I only said it to her twice, if you count the time I was sleeping.

"I have never called Kurosaki Karin that at all. I don't know what you are talking about, Urahara." I glared at him again.

I felt a sudden shift in the air coming from Hinamori. I took a quick glance at her; she was glaring at someone behind me... her reiatsu was going wild. She was mad, and it was not a good thing to get a kidou master angry. Another reiatsu spiked behind me. I turned to Karin, the first thing I noticed was that she was bleeding, and that she clutched her injured arm. Blood was dripping all over the floor in a rapidly growing puddle.

"Don't worry Urahara; I will clean up the blood in a minute." Karin turned to the man in green. "Karin!" I ran up to her, minding her injuries as I healed the rest of her injuries. She glared at Hinamori behind me, and then looked at me.

"I am okay now Hitsugaya, thank you." My heart hurt after she said that, I never found out why she could call me Shiro-chan and make my heart soar but her calling me Hitsugaya made it sink.

_Point of View change_

I glared at Hinamori behind Toshiro before turning to Toshiro. "I am okay now Hitsugaya, thank you." I didn't want to call him by his first name since Hinamori was here.

"Karin…what happened?" He softly spoke.

"I tripped over a log in the forest and scratched my arm all over..." The pain wasn't that bad, I just thought of it has training. "Baka…" I smiled at him then turned back to Hinamori, glaring at her.

"Who are you?! And why are you interrupting a private conversation?"

"The names Kurosaki Karin, and the last time I checked, it wasn't really private since I was here in the beginning. Now why are you sending killer intent towards me?" I walked around the table towards Hinamori.

"Now if you are going to send killer intent at me then let's fight and I'll show you a true shinigami looks like, not some lovesick puppy." I glared at her before walking over to Toshiro. I told Urahara to show Hinamori the chamber while I talk to Toshiro quickly.

When they left Toshiro buried his head into my shoulder and his arms wrapped around my waist. I wrapped my arms gently around his shoulders, leaning my hand on his shoulder.

"Please don't get hurt anymore. I am sorry I said that stuff but I had to lie, I don't like lying about you." He mumbled into my hair.

"I know…I know…" He lifted his head of my shoulder and pulled away so he could look into my eyes. He slowly closed the distance between me and him; I followed his example and moved in closer. His kiss was really soft on my lips like he was afraid to break me; we pulled back enough to allow us to breathe again.

"Hey Toshiro…"

"Hai…my Rin-hime." He leaned his head on my forehead so they were touching. "You have to leave soon right…"

"Hai…" I looked at him, "Then can you do something for me."

"Sure what is it?" Toshiro pulled away so we could get a better look at each other. "Come and say goodbye?"

"Are you sure you want that?" he said suggesting at something. I blushed softly not looking at his face. I dubbed this pervert mood, I had no idea how often he turned into a pervert like this, and maybe this was the first time.

"If possible." I mumbled.

"Are you sure because I could…" He trailed off slowly leaning towards my neck.

"Kiss you here." He softly kissed my neck. "Or here" he moved his head a little higher but still on the neck and kissed me softly there as well. I tried not to moan as he kissed a tender spot, "or here" he moved to my jaw line and kissed it too, "or maybe here" he kissed my lips again, but this time with more force, he backed away before I could do anything. He smirked then walked away.

"But if you want to me to say goodbye to you, then I will." He walked away leaving me there, red in the face and ready to collapse. I think my legs turned to jelly or maybe the bones slowly crumbled under the force, or perhaps they decided to desert me. I slowly leaned against the wall for some support and slide down it slowly.

'_Damn you! Why do you have to taunt me like that?_' I tried not to moan for enjoyment knowing that he would exploit that. I am only 15…I should not be moaning from enjoyment!! Stupid Toshiro…he knows all the right places to cause pleasure! I refuse to do anything until I am at least 20, I nodded to myself. I walked off to the trap door and fell down the ladder landing softly on my feet.

"What the hell did you do to Toshiro!? He came down smiling and smirking!" Hinamori yelled at me.

"Shut up…I didn't do anything besides talk to him, promising not to hurt you to much." I smirked at the girl in front of me, "Now are we going to fight or not… because I have something I need to finish after this."

"Fine let's go!" She pulled her sword out of the sheath and brought it in front of her. I reached behind me and grabbed the hilt of my sword, the sheath melting away. I swung the blade in front of my body.

I closed the distance between the two of us bringing my sword around my body and slashing at her. She brought up her sword to meet mine, before ducking under and slashing my stomach. I gasped as the wound was opened wider and three new ones opened. I jumped away but she was in my face again.

"Tobiume: Hajike!"

My sword hit hers then blew up in my face. I flew backwards and flew through 6 boulders before stopping; I stood up and coughed a lot of blood. I held my now broken arm in my bleeding arm. My sword flew right past my head, slicing a bit of my cheek before stabbing itself into the wall behind me. My vision was fading and getting blurry, I couldn't move my arm and my body was burnt and scratched up everywhere. Hinamori appeared in front of me again, she swung her sword at me letting off orbs of energy again. They blew up again in my face. The dust cleared up so I could see her blurry image. My face was bleeding everywhere, messing up with my vision. I hacked up more blood, falling to the ground; I held out my hand and called in my reiatsu that was in my Zanpaku-to.

"Honoo no Ten!" I cried out. My blade flew into my hand once again. I stuck it in the ground and held my body up. I lifted my body up letting go of my now useless arm. I pulled the sword out of the ground holding it out in front of me again. I slowly closed my eyes, since they weren't of any help. I sensed her reiatsu out, following it, I jumped out of the way were she would of sliced me in half. She shunpo in front of me again, but I dodged her swipe at me. This went on for awhile while I dodged her attacks with my eyes closed, I decided this was enough.

"Kaihou: Kuroi Honoo!" I cried out. The feeling grew again, I knew I couldn't watch my blade change this time but I knew that it was still spectacular. Hinamori shunpo in front of me again but I shunpo away to avoid her strike. It was a chase now, I lead her all around the room sensing out for the boulders. When I finally let her come close to me I slashed at her. I heard a clank then her scream. I couldn't stand anymore and I feel to the ground; I never felt the impact though. I winced as they lightly touched my broken arm. I blacked out soon after.

I opened my eyes slowly, glaring at the sun and the birds singing outside. I tried to sit up but it hurt too much. I cried out as the pain shot up my arms again. I heard footsteps, and then I saw Orihime burst into the room.

She used her Santen Kesshun on me. "Are you okay Kurosaki-chan?" Her shield covered my body and I felt a weird feeling as my pain slowly disappeared. After a little while my wounds were all healed up.

I moved my arm around in a circle. I smiled at Orihime. "Hai…It is all better now thanks to you." I stood up walking around her and entering the common room. Urahara was sitting there with Hinamori. I ignored her and turned to Urahara.

"Oi Hat and Clogs… where's Hitsugaya?" I asked him.

"He left earlier today. He said he would be back to say goodbye to you." Hat and Clogs smiled at me. "Oh yeah…you have passed lesson three. Congrats but you still need to train more if you want to be part of the upcoming battle."

"Battle? What battle?" I looked at Hinamori, who looked at Urahara confused.

"The battle between myself and her." I looked at Urahara confused now. He shook his head saying _'she can't know'_. I nodded to him slowly; I turned around and walked outside. I saw a tree that was close enough to jump to the roof; I jumped off the closest branch to the roof just barley landing on the roof. I walked up the side of the roof; I glanced down the other side and saw Shiro-chan sitting there. I smiled and carefully walked up to him. I placed my hands over his eyes.

"Guess who." I smiled. "Hm…I don't know…maybe it is Karin…" He grabbed my hand and swung me into his lap. I almost screamed but I held it back.

I leaned against his chest sighing as he wrapped his arms around my stomach. I pushed myself as close as I could into his body looking up at the clouds. I sighed softly to myself as peace flew through my body.

"Rin-hime…I don't want to go back yet…" He mumbled in the top of my head. "I wish you didn't have to leave either, but your duties as Taicho are really important to you."

"But you are my life now; I don't know how I am going to survive without you. I really need you…my Rin-hime." I lifted my head up to his, giving him a soft a kiss but pulled back to quickly so he didn't have time to kiss back.

"Why do you tease me like that…?" Shiro-chan whined. I laughed as he gave me a pout before leaning in, I just turned my head so couldn't kiss my lips. "Please…"

"Nope….your fault. You had enough kisses, especially with those you gave me earlier. So I think you don't need any more." I smirked at him again, but he just smiled at me before attempting to kiss me again. He completely missed again, knocking him self off balance. He fell on his back with me on top of him; our legs were all tangled together. I closed the distance and kissed him once again. I didn't pull away this time and let him kiss me back. Which he did hungrily. I pulled away from him catching my breath.

"Shiro-chan…no more… it could go to far…" He agreed with me, pulling me into his chest his arms just above my butt. I laid my hands on his chest and placed my head on his chest as well. I listened to his heartbeat again, slowly nodding off to sleep.

"Taicho!" I slowly came to… I noticed Shiro-chan had also fallen asleep. I looked up to see Matsumoto staring down at us; I blushed and quickly got off of her Taicho. I gently shook Toshiro but he just groaned and rolled over. I shook my head slowly.

"Karin-chan…he doesn't wake up unless you do something to wake him up. I could never figure it out so I just let him sleep." She grinned at me then at her Taicho. "Last time, I fell on my wrist weird and he spontaneously woke up." I looked at a fallen leaf on the roof. I quickly grabbed the leaf and pretend to cut myself with it.

"Itai…" Toshiro instantly woke up and stared at me with sleepy eyes. He got up and walked slowly walked over to me. He grabbed me from behind and pulled me into his chest. He leaned his head on my back and fell asleep again. I blushed as I realized Matsumoto was grinning evilly with her hand on her mouth as to hide it.

"Ano…Toshiro…Wake up…Matsumoto is watching." I mumbled to him.

"I am not letting you have that Rin-hime…please don't..." Toshiro moaned in his sleep. "Rin-hime you smell really good… so intoxicating… Mmm… delicious Rin-hime…" He pulled me closer into his body and his lap and licked the side of my face subconsciously. I could feel my face let off heat from all the blood in it.

"Toshiro…I just broke my arm and it hurts." Toshiro shook his head into my back. "No you didn't…you just want to me all to yourself…" I blushed inventing a new color of red. I could tell that Matsumoto couldn't hold it in anymore so she just burst out laughing. It didn't help my embarrassment actually it made it worse because at that time Rukia decided to show up.

"Eh?! What's going on?" Rukia exclaimed. "Taicho…haha…won't…ahah…walk up…HAHAHA" She burst out laughing really hard.

"Really?" Rukia turned to me and Toshiro who moved his position so that I was facing into his chest.

"That's it!" I mumbled to myself. I lifted my head up to his ear and I bit it hard enough to give him a spark of pain. I backed away from his ear and looked at his face as he slowly came to. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

"Rin-hime…where are we…" I rolled my eyes to the side. He followed them and saw Matsumoto; who was still laughing; and Rukia; who was giggling softly. He looked at my face then back at them standing there. He let go of me quickly, stumbled on a shingle, and landed face first into my lap. He slowly lifted his head and looked at me. He sat up and flew backwards and turned his back from everyone. His face was most likely redder than mine.

Rukia and Matsumoto were leaning against each other laughing so hard they needed to support each other. I looked away from them and to Toshiro, his face looking down at his lap from what I could tell.

"Matsumoto! What are you doing here!?" He called out.

Matsumoto immediately straighten up and stopped laughing though I was pretty sure she was trying not to laugh. "Taicho…Yamamoto-Taicho decided that Karin-chan should come and train in Soul Society since they think she can be a big help to us. I was order to tell you to get her ready to leave and leave as soon as possible."

"Understood…Now leave, and you tell anyone you won't be able to work ever again!" He turned around and yelled. He gave a glare to both Rukia and Matsumoto. They both got up and bolted away before he froze them with his glare.

He walked over to me and sat in front of him, not looking at me. "I am sorry…" He mumbled to me. "Iie its okay."

"Iie, it isn't…I should have just waked up, then this would never have happ-"

"What were you dreaming about?" I cut him off. "Nothing…" He blushed and looked away. "Tell me!"

"Fine… I dreamt that we were making cookies, and you wanted to eat the batter and I said no. Then you went up to me and licked my ear and bit it softly…while I tried to tell you to stop, since it was driving my sense crazy. Somewhere in that time you got cookie dough on your face so I licked it off, and I put my face into your hair…" He wouldn't look at me, and his face was really red.

"You then brought me into your room and we…started kissing…a lot…and furiously… and yeah…" He looked up to me and then looked back down. I felt the red raise to my face, knowing what he was implying happened.

"Shiro-chan?" I looked over to Hinamori. I glared at her, and then I quickly jumped of the roof, letting them have some time together. "What is it?" Okay so I didn't actually leave, but I had to be cautious.

"What happened to you?" I heard her ask. "Nothing."

"Shiro-chan don't lie to me!" In my head you could see two chibi characters, one Toshi the other Hinamori. Whenever Hinamori spoke a high pitch voice came out. I almost laughed out loud but that would have told them my position.

"It's Hitsugaya-Taicho. And I am not lying."

"Why…why do you let her…only her call to you Shiro-chan, or Toshiro, or even Hitsugaya. I gave you that nickname! I should be allowed to call you that!" I swear I heard her crying.

"Because…" He didn't know, or maybe he didn't want to say it. "Because why!"

"Because I like it when she calls me that…otherwise it just makes me mad!" I smiled and I felt my heart sink into my stomach. Which I heard was a good thing. "She has brainwashed you! I can't believe it! I thought you liked me! Everyone keeps telling me that you like me!" I was right she was crying.

"I use to like you, but that was a long time ago. I have never been brainwashed and I don't need to be. Just get use to it Hinamori."

"What happened to you, you use to always call me Momo?"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have tried to break off our friendship! Can't you just accept that I am finally happy for once! Why must you do this right now?!"

"Because I love you!" I took him away from her. It was my entire fault right? Oh man I am so confused. "…"

"Say something please…" She was still crying, I decided it was time to come and ask Toshiro to help me pack. I swung my self onto the roof startling Hinamori and Toshiro, I just smiled sheepishly.

"I am sorry if I am interrupting anything but Hitsugaya-Taicho has to help me get prepared to travel to the Soul Society." I looked at the both of them before turning around and jumping off the roof.

Toshiro landed right after me knocking me off balance. He grabbed my hand and lifted me up. Pulling me into his chest he buried his face into my hair. "I am sorry you had to hear that." He spoke through the nest of hair I had. He hugged me tightly maybe trying to forget what just happened.

"Iie. It's okay I shouldn't have listened in." I returned his hug. "…" He didn't say anything but I could tell he was deeply upset that I heard that. "Toshiro…let's go to my house to get ready so you can go home."

"My home is where ever you are." I blushed lightly. "Come on; let's head off to my house."

He grabbed my hand and we both walked leisurely back to my house. When we arrived to my window he climbed up the tree and opened it; I climbed up him right after. Once he made sure everything was clear and okay he sat down beside me.

"What am I going to really need for when I go to the Soul Society?" I asked. I didn't need clothes since you are always wearing your Shinigami outfit, I wasn't really sure.

"You don't need anything." He smiled at me. He pushed me against my bed, with him leaning on top of me. His face was hovering a few inches above mine. "All you need is to-"

"Karin! Are you back!" Otou-san burst into my room ready to hug me, but was waiting for a kick in the face. He turned to me and Shiro-chan who was still on top of me. Toshiro quickly climbed off of me and walked away from me and my dad. My face was red as well as his.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho. It is nice to see you again I still remember when you were sitting on the window sill watching Karin. Now please tell me what you were going to do to her?" I could feel the killer intent directed to Toshiro.

"Kurosaki-Taicho…I was going to say that she needed to head off to bed so she can be prepared for the travel to Soul Society." He said.

"Taicho, it would be best if you didn't try to tell her that way…it can lead to some conclusions. Now come on Taicho, Karin must go to bed now."

"I am on my way right now." I watch Toshiro jump out of the window and shunpo away. I turned to my father.

"Why does he call you Kurosaki-Taicho?" I asked.

"I was once the Taicho of the 10th squad before I feel in love a human. I left the Soul Society and married your mom. That is why you have the ability to see ghosts just like Ichigo. But I was hoping that you would never get involved with Shinigami, especially your brother getting involved."

"I have always known what was going on with you and Ichigo. When you came back that one day from that soccer match and you told me you met a guy by the name of Hitsugaya Toshiro I knew I needed to watch you and him more closely. I am happy for you; I just hope Toshiro can put you over everything that he belongs to."

"Let's hope he never hurts you, because you obviously like him…a lot… goodnight Karin…Toshiro…" I gasped and looked at Toshiro who was sitting on the window sill waiting to talk to me. My dad smiled and walked out of the room.

"Are you going to leave?" I asked him. "Only if you want me to." He smiled at me.

"Iie…I want you to stay." He nodded to me. He pulled me to my bed and pushed me onto it. He placed the covers over and tucked me in gently. I smiled at him as he brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"Shiro-chan we are you going to sleep?"

"The roof." He replied. "Shiro-chan you can sleep on my bed. I don't mind, just nothing perverted okay?"

He nodded and walked over to me bed, moving over for him and I placed the blanket over us. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest; it was so warm. I snuggled into his chest and slowly fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning came to soon for young Karin and Toshiro

The next morning came too soon for young Karin and Toshiro. When Yuzu went off to bed she didn't notice the extra lump under the covers.

_Point of View Change_

I woke up to a scream which flung me out of bed; unfortunately I forgot that Shiro-chan slept over last night, I ended up knocking both him and me out of bed. I landed on the ground with Shiro-chan on top of me, with the sheets wrapped around us securely.

"Itai…" I wanted to rub my bottom but with Shiro-chan on top of me and my hands securely stuck on his back, it was more or less impossible.

"Otou-san! Ichi-nii!" Yuzu, it was Yuzu who screamed. I looked at Shiro-chan who was still sleeping, but he had moved so he was resting on my stomach better. I fought back a blush, but that didn't work.

"Yuzu! What's wrong!?" Otou-san and Ichi-nii both ran into the room, okay so they barged into the room panicking.

"Otou-san! There is a guy sleeping with Karin when I woke up!" I glanced up at Ichi-nii awkwardly as he glared down at me; Otou-san was laughing while Yuzu was panicking.

"Karin…what is Toshiro doing here, actually why was he sleeping in your bed?"

Ichi-nii imposed.

"If I said I have no idea what you're talking about would it make you less angry?" I spoke nervously. Toshiro decided at that moment to walk up. He glanced at me with a tired smile, before trying to get up. He realized then he couldn't move.

"Okay why are we on the floor and why can't I get up… and…" Toshiro looked up as much as he could to see Ichigo glaring at him. I silently swore at the predicament.

"Heh…heh… morning?" Toshiro laughed nervously. I rolled my eyes; I quickly untangled us and pushed him off me and away. I stood up quickly and turned back to Ichi-nii.

"What are you doing here Toshiro?" Ichi-nii shot at him.

"I was sleeping, and don't call me Toshiro, Kurosaki." Toshiro glared at my brother, gave quick glances at the rest of family, before turning and heading to the window. He gave me a quick nod telling me that he would see me later, hopefully. He jumped out of my window and silently landed on the ground below. Ichi-nii looked livid, but Yuzu was shocked that he didn't hurt himself from that jump.

The next few days went by rather quickly. I continued to train with Urahara and occasionally with Renji and Chad. Shiro-chan left for the Soul Society a couple days ago; well actually it was 5 days ago he had left. Momo had stayed in Karakura and was watching Renji and Chad spar.

I glanced up at the sunset on the bench in the park, thinking of all the fun times I had and the horrible times. Ichi-nii left to train with the Vizards once again, leaving Yuzu crying and Otou-san in a horrible mood. Okay so he was the same as ever but he did look like he was really angry as well. Hinamori learned to stay away from me for her best interests seeing as I was staying only for a couple of hours.

Toshiro had told me he would come and get me after he had made sure everything was all in order in Soul Society. Today he called saying he was coming at 5pm. It was only 1pm right now. Only 4 more hours to kill.

I sighed; I quickly moved my head to the left as a soccer ball flew past my head. I turned around and saw my posse behind me. I always knew that they liked me, but what can I do, I have a boyfriend…I think…I was going to talk to Shiro-chan about that. I jumped off the rail sliding down the hill to get the bound-wards soccer ball.

When I got to the top the boys were getting bullied by some high schoolers. I dropped the ball onto my foot; balancing it on the top of my foot. I lifted the ball into the air and quickly roundhouse kick the ball onto the face of one of the high schoolers. He fell to the ground out cold; they other kids turned to me and ran after me. I turned around and took off as fast I could.

They caught up to me sooner or later, and decided that since I was a girl that they wouldn't hurt me too much. I scoffed at their sexist views; I actually told that to them. They had hit my lip making it swell up. After they decided to leave me alone since I hadn't put up much of fight; with once last glare they pushed me down to the ground. Damn did my life ever suck sometimes?

I trudged my way back to Urahara Souten, spitting out the blood that was left over in my mouth. I probably should make sure I clean this up before Toshiro gets here, who knows what he, would do to those kids. I shudder there, the thought was repulsive but I loved it.

"Ah Karin-san, are you okay? What happened?" I stared straight up at the huge man named Tessai.

"Don't worry, I can handle this, it was just some high schoolers. They decided to teach me a lesson. Nothing I can't handle." I smiled at him; he gave me an unsure of smile back.

I walked into the bathroom giving my face a quick wash down before I headed downstairs for some light training. Swallowing a soul pill, I sat on the ground and mediated for a few minutes trying to summon Kuroi. When Kuroi appeared he stood with a new outfit then last time though. Now he wore a pair of leather pants that were black. On top he had a red shirt that slowly turned into fishnet. He had black leather gloves on and a black band around his neck. He wore a black cloak that flowed like fire at the end. The collar coming up to his mouth; he currently had it opened.

"_**KARIN. I SEE YOU ARE READY TO TRAIN AGAIN. NOW PLEASE BEGIN THE WARM UP BEFORE WE BEGIN SOME ACTUAL ATTACKS." **_ Kuroi sat down in mid air and began meditating. I began the warm up regimen they have put me on; 100 up slashes; 100 down slashes, 100 across the body slashes, 30 crunches, 20 push ups, and last I have to do 30 lunges. It was tiring at first but I was use to it.

"_**KARIN IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE ALMOST READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL, WE MUST HURRY AND GET YOUR READY FOR IT AS I FEEL YOU SHALL BE ALLOWED TO HEAR HER NAME SOMETIME SOON. SOMETHING GREATER IS COMING AND WE HAVE TO PREPARE QUICKLY."**_

I nodded slowly, I already knew what that big thing was, and well in truth I had no idea. My mind tried to tell me it was the war, but I have a feeling it was something else.

"Kuroi! I finished my warm ups! What's next!?" I called out.

"_**NOW YOU MUST SPARE WITH ONE OF THE SHINIGAMI IN THIS BUILDING."**_ I nodded acknowledging what he said.

"At the moment I can't allow you to spar, we need to head off to the gate." I turned around quickly; Toshiro was smiling at me slightly.

"When did you get back?" I asked impatiently. "Whenever I got back…" I glared at him.

"Well I guess Kuroi we can't train anymore thank you for coming and helping." Kuroi gave me a quick nod of the head. He disappeared with a flash of flames. "I really wish I could do that…" I mumbled to myself.

I grabbed my stuff at the foot of the ladder. Before we left Tessai healed my lip then me and Shiro-chan walked up to the gate that had opened when he came through it. He grabbed my hand I slowly walked into the gate, leaving behind everything.

I walked onto the ground of Soul Society. I was shocked and amazed at the site of everything here.

"Welcome to Soul Society."


	7. Chapter 7

Karin had never seen a sight like this before

Karin had never seen a sight like this before. They stood in front of a large gate; people were bustling around finishing their errands and other nick-naks that they had to finish. Toshiro glanced over at his girlfriend watching her take in the site before her. He smiled lightly at her, dropping her hand so he could walk up to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper acknowledged him standing there as he began to lift up the heavy gate.

"Are you coming slow-poke!" Toshiro called out to the young teen.

"Hai!" Karin glared at Toshiro for a second before staring at the gatekeeper with awe. Karin never knew that the Soul Society was such a… neat place.

"Where are we going Shiro-chan?" Karin asked to the back of her white-haired friend.

"Karin… people must not know of our current relationship here. The Captain-Commander would most likely murder me or lock me up for a long time. When in Seireitei you must call me Histugaya-Tachio or Taicho-"

"Hold on one minute. I have to call you what? You are shorter then me, since I am taller you should be calling me Taicho." Toshiro's eyebrow slowly twitched. He breathed in quickly and let it out slowly before he would continue.

"As I was saying that also includes no signs of affection, no pet names, nothing, unless we are in the 10th division, then you can drop the Taicho. But nothing else, am I understood?"

"Taicho!" Toshiro slowly turned to the incoming redhead. When she leaped into the air to give him a giant hug he merely stepped to the side a little bit.

"Aww…Taicho that hurt…" Matsumoto pouted. She got up slowly then turned to see the Karin standing there baffled.

"Karin-chan! How are you doing!" Matsumoto went to hug her to but she just stepped out of the way quickly running to catch up with Toshiro. She gave him a small smile with him quickly responding with a secret smile of his own. They both went on their way leaving poor Matsumoto sitting there… pouting.

Karin stared at Seireitei in wonder, actually, she was wondering why there was a wall around this place, but that was a question for another time. Many shinigami would stop and bow their heads to Toshiro; he would nod his head occasionally. Karin wondered just how elite this person was. She followed him through the maze like paths, curious as to where he was taking her.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho!" Karin watched as Rukia quickly ran up to Toshiro breathing quite hard.

"What is it Rukia?" Toshiro looked at the girl bent over trying to catch her breathe.

"The Sōtaichō want's to see you and Karin right now in his office." Rukia grimaced a little hoping it would be about them being together.

"We are on our way. Karin you better sped it up now or you are going to get our asses kicked." Toshiro flash stepped away quickly. Karin nodded at Rukia before going after him.

When Karin arrived at the door where he had led her too, she saw him breathing evenly yet she was still trying to catch her breathe. Karin gave a glare at her boyfriend for just ditching her like that. He shrugged indifferently at her.

"Remember the rules, and please don't embarrass me in there. When we go in there you are to stand in the middle do you hear me?" Karin nodded slowly, confused on what was going on.

"Don't worry, I promise everything will be okay…" Toshiro smiled at her slightly.

He walked up to the double door opening them slowly and deliberately. He walked in and took his place in line. Karin walked in nervously looking at all the Captains standing there. She walked into the middle of the room curious as to where Toshiro went.

"Kurosaki Karin I presume." Karin turned her head quickly to the front of the room, letting her reiatsu slowly increase by accident. The person in front lifted an eyebrow at the increase of reiatsu but said nothing of it.

"Hai, I am Kurosaki Karin, and I am to presume you are the Sōtaichō or otherwise known as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai." The man in front let out a low chuckle as if what she said was actually funny.

"Yes you are correct. Karin. May I call you Karin?" He earned a quick nod from her, "I would like to know what you have learned about the Soul Society from Hitsugaya-Taicho." Karin relied what she knew to the old man in front of her. She knew she had to leave out some parts per to instruction from her brother and from Toshiro.

"I see I am assuming Hitsugaya-Taicho is going to continue training you here in Soul Society for a few days until the upcoming war. Am I right?" Karin nodded again.

"I have a condition though. For me to fully access my zanpaku-to I must train on my lonesome once in a while."

"I shall not question what you need to do but if any harm is coming towards the Soul Society you must fight, and you must not on any occasion be allowed to leave the 10th division's Taicho anywhere."

"Understood."

"Now one last question, upon discovery I have noticed a few things happening in the Human realm. One has to deal with you and a certain Taicho." Karin felt the eyes of the other Taichos glare at her back. She grew nervous each second. She swallowed a lump in her throat hoping no one would her it.

"What are you saying Sōtaichō?" She glanced nervously at him.

"There have been accounts of much different public affection. I would like clarify if they were real or not." His eyes bore into her soul questioning everything in her. It was as if he could read her mind.

Karin thought quickly before she replied to the first division Taicho. "What has been confirmed must be incorrect because Hitsugaya-Taicho and I have strictly a teacher-student relationship." Karin hoped that this would be enough to convince him.

"_You are, if questioned, to reply that we have no relationship beyond a teacher-student. If the _Sōtaichō_ was to find out that our relationship was romantic, I would be in Rukia's previous situation." Karin nodded slowly, trying to remember what that event was._

"_So basically I am not to mention your first name, nicknames, or anything along those lines in front of anyone so that we can keep it undercover so nothing happens to the both of us?" She stated._

"_Correct."_

"Very well, as long as those rumors are not true then you can continue with your training and have your own solitude to train. But under those previous mentioned conditions." He smiled at Karin, a kind of smile that says _'I will be watching you'_.

Karin gulped quietly and slowly nodded her head. The head honcho slowly rose from his chair. "This meeting is over."

Everyone quickly bowed low including Karin, heading towards the door Karin met up with Toshiro who smiled quickly to reassure her. However, one captain happened to see that brief smile, and that was Kuchiki Byakuya.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a few days after the meeting with the sōtaichō, following the guidelines that were set up for her, she never left Toshiro's side once

It had been 2 weeks after the meeting with the Sōtaichō; following the guidelines that were set up for her she never left Toshiro's side once. Whenever Toshiro had any time he would help Karin with her training or they would go on a _'date'_. Their dates were more like a walk around Soul Society or a quick game of soccer. Today was one of the days that they had one of their dates. Currently they were sitting on a hill watching the sun set.

_Point of View Change_

"Hey Toshiro?" I slowly turned my head slightly to glance at the Taicho beside me. Toshiro was glazing at the sun set mindful that I was still beside him.

"Hmm…what is it?" he questioned me. "I was wondering if you could ohm… well…" I blushed lightly hoping he didn't see it. I knew that if I continued what I wanted to say I would go bright red or something was surely to happen.

"What is it?" He softly looked at me, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"Never mind…" I smiled shyly at him; in return he gave me a small smile. I turned my eyes back to the sky; comparing the one back at home to this one. I still haven't decided which one I liked better.

"Karin!" I turned my head quickly to Matsumoto running towards us. She can to an abrupt stop in front of us, slowly catching her breathe.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently. "Your sister… she was captured by an unknown force!" I didn't catch what she said at the end my mind just shut down on me after the _she was capture _part.

"Karin-chan? Karin are you okay?" Matsumoto glanced at me worriedly. "Does…Ichi-nii know…" My voice responded by itself.

"Yes he does, currently he is tearing up the Soul Society trying to get back to the human world. However, all the gates have been closed and they weren't closed by us. No one can get through." Toshiro stood up quickly and eyed his subordinate.

"What do you mean the gates won't open?" He asked rather calmly for this situation. "Who cares about the gate!? My sister was kidnapped! That is more important then the gates!" I yelled into his face.

"What are you talking about!? If the gates won't open then souls can't get through, meaning that the worlds will become unbalanced and both worlds will be destroyed." Toshiro spoke with an eerily calm voice again.

"I don't care, my family is important to me!"

"I know but my duties are far more important than that, the worlds are at stake."

"Again with your duties! Is that all you care about! What about Yuzu? What will happen to her!?"

"First, my duties are important to me, and second, Yuzu comes after the world."

"So where do I come in then?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean if your duties are more important then what am I to you?!" By this point I was pretty sure I would start crying, but I knew that I had to hold it back, I promised that I would never cry again.

"If you guys could stop your arguing we need to get the gates to open and help the people in the Soul Society calm down. Karin, please go find your brother and get him to think rationally. Taicho, we need to go to see the Sōtaichō right now." I nodded to her; bidding her goodbye before I flash stepped away.

I ran across the roofs following the reiatsu of Ichi-nii's and following the path of destruction. I ran past some or the members of the 10th squad, who looked, from what I saw, extremely scared and shocked. I passed them without any in dedication that I saw them.

"Ichi-nii!" I ran up to my brother after a few more minutes of running. I skidded to a stop beside him. He was picking on some 4th division member. The man was crying out loud, with Ichi-nii shaking him back and forward.

"What happened to her!?" He yelled at the pathetic boy in front of him.

"I don't know…" He stuttered. I rolled my eyes at the man watching him cry. "Ichi-nii, he doesn't know, now let him go." Ichigo dropped the boy to the ground. We both watched him run away, falling once in a while.

"Karin… where's Toshiro, aren't you always with him? Not that I care but did you two get into a fight or something?"

I ignored his question and responded with my own. "What's going on? I know Yuzu was captured and I know about the gates but what is really going on?"

"I don't know however, something is going to happen and they dragged Yuzu into this so we could be dragged out. No one knows anything though. Wait, what about the gates?"

"They won't open; nothing can get past them on both sides." I jumped to the roof above us, sitting on the edge letting my legs swing down. Ichi-nii sat beside me, both of us in silence and pondering what mishap was happening. I don't know how long we sat there but the sun had finally set, people were innocently going back to their divisions unaware what was going on.

"Karin… are you alright?" Ichi-nii's head was glazing at me trying to see my soul. As if I would let him though. "Don't worry, I am fine, but we need to find a way to get into the human world and get Yuzu back." I looked around the stars seeing if I could find anything remotely close to the big dipper.

"I guess you know you can tell me anything right." He smiled one of his rare smiles. Somehow it bought me back to Toshiro and how he only smiles on a very rare occasion.

"You want to know." I watched him nod eagerly, "Toshiro and me….can't decided on a name for the baby. I want to have something like Carol and he wants Sam."

"What! I am going to kill that gaki!" I laughed so hard I fell of the roof top. Before I could reach the bottom Toshiro had come and grabbed me, continuing to shunpo away. In fear of falling I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his chest. I guess in some way I also did this because we haven't been this close in a long time.

I wasn't sure when we stopped or how long we traveled for, all I know is that he smelled so good. I couldn't help myself; I just had to borrow my face in closer to get a better scent and smell. When he put me down I wrapped my arms around his stomach, trying to get as close as possible. I felt him put his arms around me and bring me closer. I couldn't help myself, I started to cry. I cried for my missing sister, home sickness, and everything else. I cried for an hour maybe a little less but I felt so good after it. I had been holding everything in for such a long time.

"I am sorry Karin. I shouldn't have said those things to you." Toshiro whispered to me. "Don't. I understand, your job is very important to you know. I understand, so if anything I can do to help tell me."

"Karin, you don't understand, sure my job is important but so are you." He pulled away so he could look into my face. I wiped the tears off my face, and glared at the ground. It mocked me and my crying.

"Toshiro… I don't care right now, how can we get the doors open, what's going on?" Toshiro sighed softly.

"Come inside, I'll brief you on what is happening." I looked up finally taking notice that we were in the 10th division hallway in front of the office. I nodded, following him into the office silently. He sat behind his desk and began shifting through some papers. I took a seat in the chair in front of the desk.

"For some reason, the person responsible doesn't want us to enter the human world. He also blocked the doors to Hueco Mundo, so we don't have to worry about Aizen as much, however if he finds an alternate way before us, then we would be in a huge amount of trouble. Your sister was last spotted by a nearby Shinigami. Right before the doors locked, he sent in a report. Your sister was last spotted at the park; she was walking back from the store when an unknown figure picked her up. They spoke nothing to each other." When he finished speaking I processed everything he said to me.

"Toshiro, is there any way to get to the human world?" I spoke the first question that came to my head.

"None that we have found. Right now as we speak Kurotsuchi Mayuri is finding a way to get through. I'll tell you when I find out." Toshiro spoke gently.

"That sounds good. Are you going to be doing the last paperwork tonight?" I paused to ask him. "Yeah, our dates seem to pile up the paperwork a lot quicker. It seems everyone is trying to keep us apart." I blushed lightly, hardly detectable to anyone.

"I see. Can I help you with your paperwork?" I thought maybe if I could work on it with him, then maybe I could have the chance to be a little closer to him also.

"I don't see why not. I'll give you some papers to do, and you can set up on the couch." I nodded a little dejected at the thought of being away from me. Toshiro brought over a pile of papers and placed them on the table in front of the couch along with a pen.

"Thanks." I managed to mumble out. "No problem. You don't have to do it if you want." I guess maybe he thought I wasn't looking forward to doing the paper that's why he brought it up.

"I'll manage; you just worry about your own over there."

I guess at some point I feel asleep because when I woke up Toshiro's white haori was on top of me. I pulled it up to my face, smelling the scent of Toshiro. I couldn't really describe the smell all I knew was that I was addicted to the scent.

"I see you finally woke up. Taicho is in his room right now sleeping. I am surprised he lent you his Taicho haori. He never lets anyone wear it." Matsumoto smiled down at me. I didn't want to look up afraid I would see her bosom.

"I guess I never knew he never let anyone else wear it, or use it for a blanket… I better go wake him up now." I grinned to the side of her so I couldn't see her chest. I like her and all that but I really didn't like seeing something like that ever day. How Toshiro never became a pervert, I will never know.

"His room is just down the hallway and the 3rd door to the left." I thanked Matsumoto unaware of the smile she had.

I walked down the hallway quickly finding the room. It had the number 10 written on it, and below it said Taicho. I should have none it would be something like that. I knocked lightly, hard enough to be heard but not to hard to be pounding. I heard a quiet come in behind the wooden door. I opened the door shutting it softly behind me.

"Friend or foe?" I heard a mumble under the bed sheets. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at the thought. Imagine that a Taicho welcoming someone in there room unaware it could be a mad person then asking _friend or foe_.

"Both depending on the person's thoughts." I walked up to the bed only to be pulled down onto it then smothered against his chest. I blushed a bright red before catching my previously fallen stomach. "Toshiro…"

"Hai…what is it?" he mumbled into my back. "What are you wearing?" I asked blushing.

"My sleeping clothes. You didn't expect I slept in the black robes did you?" he smirked into my back. "I know that but… what is your attire." I blushed a deeper shade of red.

"Boxers, why?" My face felt on fire. I tried to bolt out of the bed unfortunately I was tightly held onto.

"Toshiro…can you please let me go… I think that with your current attire that we shouldn't be like this." I knew my face was bright red.

"No one will come in; this is a Taicho's room. Anyone would know that you could be killed walking in here if you were mistaken by someone. Now please get under the covers because of you the heat is getting away."

"Uhm… I don't think I can." I mumbled. "Fine, then I'm going to have to forcibly move you under the covers. Just imagine someone walking in at that time."

"No thank you. I could always get off the bed and then you wouldn't get cold." If I crawled under the covers, then my back would be against his nicely chiseled chest and I would feel his legs wrap around me.

"Then you would leave. How about I order you to get under the covers." I could almost feel the air of control around him. First he would order me to sleep in the bed with him and then I would be getting the newspaper; if they even got the newspaper. After I would end doing his laundry or worse cooking. I shuddered, since I seemed to forget that he was gripping me to death, he felt me shudder or to me a shiver.

"Since you seem cold, just come on under." Man is he prescient. "No thank you. I am not cold."

"Man are you stubborn. Fine since you would come under when I asked nicely, I'll do it my way."

He got from under the covers clad in only boxers and pinned me down to the mattress. Before I could fight back, his mouth was on mine while his other hand grabbed the blanket and threw it over us. When he pulled away, still straddling me, he smirked at me.

"I won." He said confidently. He slowly moved off me, wrapping his hands around my waist so I couldn't get away. He then pulled me up to his chest and leaned his head on my shoulder. My mind couldn't get the image of him straddling in his boxers. My heart stopped beating or was beating to fast and might have worked it self to death. My stomach was almost none existent.

"My, you are stubborn." I spoke to him this time. "Yup, but I don't mind because it means I can get my way with yo—"

"Toshiro! Get away from my sister you pervert." Ichi-nii was pounding at the door. Toshiro bolted up suddenly.

"She isn't here so what are you talking about!" He called back at him. He motioned for me to hide in the closet while he quickly made sure nothing out of place. I ran into the closet without a word. It was until I looked up I saw that there were open lines so I could see out of it. And what I saw was etched into my mind. Toshiro's hair was down at the moment going out in different angles in a mess. He was in light blue boxers that hung loosely on his hips. He stood in the middle of the room, making sure nothing was out of place.

'_I am not a pervert.'_ I tried to chant in my head but this however was not working.

"Toshiro! Let me in!" Ichigo screamed at him. Toshiro turned to him and somehow manage to get across that I needed to mask my reiatsu.

"Fine come in." He said. The door seemed to magically open letting my brother fall to the floor face first. If I was able to speak I would have laughed however I was not to let out a noise.

Toshiro just seemed look down at him wondering how such a wonderful amazing girl like me could have a brother like that. So okay he didn't actually think that but he could have, hopefully.

"What do you want?" Toshiro spoke with a very bored tone of voice.

"Why the hell is my sister pregnant!?" Toshiro's face was impassive but it seemed to flare with anger. I seemed to forget to mention that I was joking to my brother. If Yuzu was here, then maybe she would be trying to break up the fight. I wish I could go after Yuzu right now.

"Nani! Karin is what!?" Toshiro's reiatsu seemed to flare a lot. I think maybe he thinks I am with someone else. "You didn't know! She didn't tell you! I can't believe you let her get pregnant!" Ichi-nii seemed to think Toshiro was the father, and that I neglected to tell him.

"I didn't let her get pregnant!"

"Karin-chan is pregnant!?" Matsumoto skidded into the room. Two strong reiatsu in one room wasn't a good idea. Great.

"You didn't know either!" Ichigo screamed at Matsumoto. "No way! I thought we told each other everything." I slapped my hand to my forehead when she started to weep.

Toshiro stood stalk still, reiatsu flaring around him. His face was covered by a shadow, his muscles were all tense and the looked quite ripped out. Not like a body builder, oh you know. I couldn't help it. I fell against the closet in a dead faint of pure overwhelming sexiness.

"He he… how's it going…" I waved nervously as everyone glanced at me. Ichigo and Toshiro both agreed on something, they both wanted to glare at me.

"Who got you pregnant!?" Toshiro yelled out.

"Why did you let him get you pregnant!?" Ichi-nii pointed to Toshiro. Toshiro saw this and glanced at my nervous smile and Ichigo.

"What? How could I've gotten her pregnant, we never have done anything like that?" He stated confused. "Yeah right, then why was she in your closet?" I blushed at thought.

"Ichi-nii I came in here to give him back his haori however you came knocking so he said it would be a bad idea if you saw us here. And Ichi-nii I was joking about that naming thing."

"I still don't like you and shorty together, however as long as your were joking about it and nothing else then everything is okay." Ichi-nii smiled lightly then walked away dragging a confused Matsumoto behind him.

Toshiro walked up to me, staring me into the eyes. "You are not pregnant?" I nodded blushing. I remembered why I fell out of the closet. I tackled him to the ground and straddled him like he did to me.

"You know I would normally not do this because you are not wearing anything beside boxers however, this is pay back for on the bed." I smirked at him. I could see his face slowly get redder as I got closer to him. When I was about 1 cm away from his mouth he was sweating bullets. I slowly moved my mouth to his ear so I could speak to him.

"You looked quite sexy when your reiatsu was flowing around you." I felt the heat radiate off of him more, "Plus your body is so gorgeous." I got off him leaving him stunned on the ground.

I walked off wearing his Captain's robe and leaving a very red and almost nude Toshiro on the ground. I later heard Hinamori's scream when she walked into his room, afraid something happened to him when he let his reiatsu wild. I smirked knowing I did a job well done. 


	9. Chapter 9

I heard a bunch of gasps, I think my face was still red

I heard a bunch of gasps; I think my face might still red. I didn't even notice that I was still wearing Toshiro's haori until I arrived at the barracks and someone asked if there was a new 10th division captain. I looked down at the white haori gracefully waving in the wind.

"Uh... no I am not. Hitsugaya-Taicho was sleeping and he let me wear it since my goal is to become a Taicho…" I said nervously. The 10th division members looked at each other weirdly before shrugging to each other.

"Whatever you say Kurosaki-san." The bowed to me, leaving me speechless. No one has ever bowed to me before expect Kuroi. I shook my head erasing any thoughts in my head. I needed a clear mind to concentrate on calling Kuroi.

"_**KARIN-SAN, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MAY I ASK WHY YOU ARE WEARING HITSUGAYA-SAMA'S HAORI?"**_ Kuroi spoke to me.

"Long story. Any ways what are we going to be training on today?" Curiously I asked.

"_**WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON BRINGING OUT SHIROI-SAN." **_After a long week of training I was able to hear her name, it just took to much energy to call her out. We had been working on seeing how long I could keep her out for. The longest is about 3 minutes.

"Hai…"

I concentrated on my reiatsu. To pull her out I need to burst all my reiatsu in one huge explosion. Once I felt I gathered enough I would call out her name. I can hold her form in the normal state for a good 3 hours, but when it came to shikai I couldn't do it. That is what we were working on.

"Dansu: Shiroi Honoo!"

A burst of white flames spread out in front of me. They flew out in all directions for a bit of distance before shooting up into the sky and slamming into me and my Zanpaku-to. The flames wrapped around the blade leaving a white swirling imprint. The sword grew very skinny with a long chain made of fire coming off the end of it. The flames formed a pair of anklets then grew wings on the end. The fire couldn't hurt me but if someone else were to touch the fire or even come close it would burn them, badly.

Behind me stood Shiroi with her long white hair that was constantly moving around her. She moved like a dancer although her hair reached her ankles. On one side of her hair was a flower made of pure ice that would never melt, on the other side she had a gray ribbon that flowed around her hair twirling with her. She wore a simple top that would move and change colors from white to a red. She wore a pair of leggings that stopped above her knees. On her ankles was a pair of anklets like the one's I wore.

"_**Karin how nice of you to call me. Let us continue our training."**_ Her voice was an angels or maybe a really lovely singer.

"Hai."

The training was simple all I had to do was maintain the shikai form until my energy ran out. When it finally ran out I would collapse with exhaustion. After about 4 minutes I finally ran out of energy letting the form drop. I dropped to my knees trying to catch my breath.

"Why can't I maintain it any longer than that?" I cried out.

"_**I DON'T KNOW MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSULT THE KING**_**?"** When he says king he means the final form of my zanpaku-to. Honoo had become what we like to call the king. He had also changed his look too. His feathers were still there but now the alternated white and black. His hair was elegantly long like Shiroi's expect his was gold. He wore a long cloak like jacket with flames slowly coming upwards. He wore a pair of black fitted pants with gold spike like things coming of them.

"That sounds like a good idea." Kuroi mediated for half a minute before we appeared in my mind. It was still in the form of a soccer field.

"**You guys wanted to ask me something?"** Honoo appeared behind me. I jumped about five feet before coming back down.

"Hai, we were wondering why I can't maintain Shiroi for very long." I quietly asked.

"**You are forcing the reiatsu; you need to learn to let it flow. A good way to do this is to learn kidou."** Honoo bowed his head, vanishing in flames of multicolored awesomeness.

"Kidou huh. But I don't have time for that I need to find my sister!" I exclaimed.

"_**MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO THE 1**__**ST**__** DIVISION TAICHO ABOUT YOUR SISTER AND ABOUT HAVING TO LEARN KIDOU**_?" Kuroi spoke quietly.

"You are a genius my friend, thank you so much!" I hugged him quickly. I closed my eyes and imagined the outside world. When I opened them again I was back to reality.

"Time to talk to Sōtaichō." I groaned knowing this was going to be painstakingly annoying.

It took me a very long time to reach the 1st division doors. When I did finally arrived at the gates they opened for me and Sōtaichō was standing there like he knew I was going to come. Creepy.

"Karin. How nice to see you again. I had a feeling you were going to come talk to me. Come on inside." Yeah right you pervert, you most likely stalked me everywhere hoping to get some a little rape action going on. I shudder at that thought. Just imagine Toshi-chan's face.

"Now Karin what is it that you would like to ask me." He stated with an eerie smile on his face. I am now convinced he wants to rape me.

"I wanted to know more about my sister and what is going to happen about that." I actually said that calmly all though I was trying not to shudder at his all seeing eyes.

"Ah I figured you would ask about your sister. At the moment we are unable to do anything, and we mostly likely won't be able to for a while. We have the 12th division researching new ways to open the portal and until then we cannot go after your sister. Whoever took her planned this, so we must follow his plan whether or not someone dies in the end." He meant my sister; he was willing to sacrifice my sister. If only I was only a bit stronger then I would try to kill him that stupid prevy man.

"Also I would like to further my training with kidou. I feel it could help me grasp a good knowledge on my reiatsu and it would be very helpful for me to learn." I cheered in my head for the wording of my sentence.

"Very well, however you will be only allowed to be taught be Hinamori Momo. This meeting is finally adjourned." I think he likes saying this _meeting is adjourned_. I bowed low to him in respect if you could call it that. I bowed so maybe he wouldn't get angry and jump me at night. I just scared myself with that thought.

"Now let's see what squad Hinamori was in again?" I hated that girl; she was still convinced she could steal Toshiro away from me. Yeah right… hopefully, you never know with him he could suddenly say _hey_ _I hate you and love Momo_. Stupid Hinamori.

"I am in the 5th division. It would be best you remember that. And why are you wearing Hitsugaya-kun's haori?" I had forgotten all about that too. Oh well.

"I'll try my best to forget. I am wearing it because he loves me that much." It's fun to get her mad at you. She always is so snobbish about everything. Right now she was glowing in anger, literally.

"I'll try to ignore that comment, now why are you looking for me?" She gave me this hopeful smile. Maybe she thinks I am telling her I dumped Toshiro so she can move in after him. Pft yeah right!

"Well unfortunately I was told that kidou was weak but it was good to learn because Toshiro says he would love us to fight without swords, and then maybe that could turn into something dirty. What a perverted boy, you should have seen him this morning." I smirked at her. She gasped then blushed when she remembered Toshiro in his boxers. Maybe if I hit her hard enough she'll just forgot about that. Doubtful though.

"Hitsugaya-kun is not perverted in any way! Don't talk about him like that!" she screeched.

"Yeah yeah, now can you please teach me some kidou?" I asked almost begging. Key word: almost begging.

"Fine only if you stop seeing Hitsugaya-kun." In my head you could see a very angry me stabbing a very ugly Hinamori. Wait I have a plan, I'll say sure then after she teaches me then I'll say I am sorry changed my mind.

"And you must let me see you two break up." There goes my plan.

"No way will I let him go, I need this training so I can go save my sister, but if you are going to be rude about it then I think I will not go to you for training and find someone else." I turned on my heel and shunpo'd away.

I arrived at the 10th division houses shortly after. I walked around the building hoping I could find someone to teach me some kidou. I searched for hours and I found no one. Everyone in the 10th division didn't seem to think it was important enough.

"Why won't anyone teach me kidou!?" I turned around to punch the wall but I hit a person instead. The person behind my fist was no other than Hinamori. Now if this was a real fight I would have cheered, wait I still am cheering anyways.

"What do you want?" I asked moody like.

"I'll teach you only and only if you let me and Hitsugaya-kun have our own private time together." I thought about this deal a little but decided it would be okay.

"Fine, but training starts now. And you only get him for an hour."

"Two hours and we start in a tomorrow." She got up into my face like she would be able to intimidate me. I'll show her.

"Right now, and only one hour." I glared at her. She glared right back.

"Karin-Taicho…can I have my haori back?" I turned around to Toshiro who stood their smirking. That conceited jerk, he knew that we were fighting over him and he was enjoying it. Or maybe he is happy to see me…nah.

"I don't know if you can. First, you must pick either 1 hour or 2 hours and then decide between right now and tomorrow." I glared at him. He smirked at me in return. Here comes perverted Toshiro.

"Well it depends on what the hours and time is for. As for the haori I could use force to get it back from you." He grinned slyly at me.

"Hitsugaya-kun I am sorry for walking in on you this morning I was worried." That teme just deciding to interrupt our conversation. If we ever fought she might not survive. Toshiro looked at Hinamori briefly then back to me, then back to her.

"This is a first you two are never together. Why?" he asked me suspiciously.

"Just decided the hour and time." I asked impatiently.

"And hour and right now. Why, what is this for?" he turned to me.

"Well you see…" I started but Hinamori decided at the moment to interrupt me again. This was getting annoying; I can imagine me slamming my fist into her face over and over again. That brought a smile to my face.

"Karin said she waited to train in kidou, so I asked her what would I get in return, she said I would get to spend time with you and only you. She said two hours but me being the nice person I am said one hour was a good enough time. She disagreed with me. Then we wanted to decide when, she said right now, I said later own so she could spend time with you. It seemed like she really didn't want to be around you." She finished with a smile. I was about to unleash a fury of butt whooping on her. Manipulating the story like that.

"I see. Can I talk to Karin for a second…alone…?" Hinamori smiled a little bit. I glared at her when his back was turned and in return she glared back. Toshiro and I stood behind the wall just a little distance away from her. Toshiro looked at me with mixed expressions on his face.

"So what is this all about?" he asked me. So I told him what I was to do and the deal we had to make. I even told him about the perverted old man wanting to rape him. He smirked in response.

"I think I understand expect the Sōtaichō part…" I grinned in response. He just shook his head at my, as they call it _childish ways_.

"Well what are we going to do about it?" I asked him. He shrugged in response. "Just go along with her story, and then tonight you can stay with me in my bed, if you are so afraid of the raping Sōtaichō." He smirked at my blushing face.

"Nah I don't have to worry about him, you'll protect me." I smiled at him, "But I am not sure about this going along with the deal."

"How about I give you something if you go along with it." I looked at him excited about a gift of some kind.

"What is it!?" I jumped up and down excitedly.

"Can't tell you or it won't be a surprise. Now be a good girl and leave me alone for an hour then go train with her. After I'll be in the office." I sighed but nodded nether less. He kissed me on the cheek before walking over to Hinamori for their together time.

During the hour he was gone I walked around the 10th division walkways. I didn't find anything of importance but it kept me occupied. I ran into a few weird characters once in a while. The weirdest was the 11th Division Taicho. He just ran past me with a pink haired girl telling him where to go. They were looking for Ichi-nii apparently. Hinamori finally came back from where ever they were so when I saw her I grabbed her arm and dragged her to the training grounds.

"What was that for!" she screeched at me.

"We are starting our training now. In addition we have some things to discuss." I glared at her. "Like what?" she sneered.

"Well we have to discuss this deal of ours. First, you only get the pure one hour with him without me, on the days we have set to train. Second, we train for 3 hours. Thirdly, you are to immediately come to this training ground to begin." I clearly had to state them very well spoken or she would be all _'doi wha' you say'_ like a stupid hippy idiot she is.

"Understood, however we are to train everyday." I could deal with that I guess.

"Fine. Now let's begin." We both smirked knowing pain was sure to come. The 3 hours flew by really quickly. When we finished we were both bruised and bleeding a little bit. She would teach me the basics then show me but shooting it at me for no reason. So when I got to try I would hit her back, for 3 hours that's what we did.

I almost had to crawl back to Toshiro in his house, I was lucky thought that Rukia came by and healed me with some kidou. I asked her where she was going, she said she was trying to find my idiot of a brother for pay back, something about spiders and snakes and a bed. Made no sense to me.

"Your back I see." Toshiro walked over to me when I entered the office. I nodded slowly to throw him off. When he got close enough I leaped at him and pinned him to the ground.

"What's my surprise?" I asked eagerly.

"I can't tell you not know anyways." He grabbed my hands that were pinning his arms down just above his elbow. He pushed against my one arm and tipped us over so he was pinning me down instead.

"I got you." He smiled at me meekly before moving in closer. The door creaked open at this point so we both bolted apart quickly.

"Hitsugaya-Taicho, we have some trouble. The gate opened but there is something weird showing on the other side." I looked at Toshiro and we both nodded. He quickly grabbed the haori off my shoulders and placed it on himself. We both ran outside grabbing our swords where we left them by the door.

We ran as fast as we could to the commotion at the East Gate. There floating above it was a gate to the human world, and what was showing had surprised the both of us. There were many hollows and menos attacking Karakura, with a strange man standing in the air. He seemed to be able to see us through the gate, because he looked straight at us and grinned. The scary thing was that beside him was my sister, also with an evil smirk. The man waved at us, before closing the gate again. My world was in a lot of trouble and we couldn't even get there.


	10. Chapter 10

I stared at the now closed gate in disbelief. My sister... my sister was on the evil side, sure, she was kidnapped, but why would she join forces. She was, but she could not be, it just was not right. Yuzu the caring one, the smart, pretty, and kind one had flipped to the dark side. She wouldn't hurt a fly, she couldn't hurt a fly, yet there she was. Why was she with that man? Who was that man? Why did he shut the gate again? What is going on?

I was startled out of my thoughts when I felt a pair of hands wrap securely around my waist and held me close. I turned into the arms and buried my face in his chest. I looked up into the face of Ichi-nii. He held a worried expression on his face. We were both worried about our sister; my twin, my other half; she had gone to the evil side.

"Ichi-nii what is going on?" I asked quietly.

"I don't know but we will get our sister back and that is for sure. Don't worry about it." He tried to reassure me. At that moment the 12th division's Taicho, Kurotsuchi Mayuri ran up.

"I have found a way to open the door and I have created an alternate open to get there and back safely." Mayuri spoke.

"How is that Kurotsuchi-Taicho?" asked a random division squad's man.

"I have created a device that will send only a few people into the human world. When they get there they well have to place a bracelet on themselves that we send them back, only once though." I always thought Mayuri was kind of creep, but he is kind of smart way but nether less creepy.

"So who are we sending" Someone else asked. "We will send the people I think well be able to help out." Sōtaichō came out of nowhere with his cane clanking in front of him.

"We well send the Kurosaki siblings, Hitsugaya-Taicho, Matsumoto, and along with them I feel that Urahara, Isshin, and Yoruichi will help them when they get to the human world." He spoke with an air of command and authority; he was so calm about it too.

"Wait…Isshin! Our father how is he an ex-shinigami!" Ichi-nii cried out. Toshiro turned to Sotaicho who was wearing a weary smile.

"We are getting help from previous Taichos?" I looked at Toshiro wondering what he meant. Sure, I knew Otou-san was a Taicho. However, was he that strong to have Sōtaichō acknowledge him? But the others were also Taichos too, what was going on here.

"Yes we need their strength. You will be leaving at this moment. Mayuri please get them ready for the travel. I expect that you will all come back alive and with the man responsible dead." The pervy man walked away without speaking anything about a goodbye to us.

"Ha ha lets us get you ready to go." Mayuri spoke in a creepy tone of voice. He walked up to all of us and placed a bracelet of some sort on our wrists. He then went to this huge explanation of how to come back and how brilliant he was for creating such a way of travel.

Wow does that man have an ego or what. Now is it not the time to be thinking about that stuff, once we get into the human world I have to find my sister and destroy the control over her.

"Karin. It is time to go, he finished speaking." I looked up at Ichi-nii and his very impassive facial expression. I just nodded pretending that I heard what we were to do.

I watched as both Matsumoto and Toshiro pushed the orange button on the watch. A huge portal appeared in front of them, looking through the portal I could see my house, or what was left of it anyways. I followed their lead and walked through the portal that appeared for me. I felt like throwing up once we got to the other side; it was not exactly that smooth of a ride. More like a bull ride or maybe a… okay stop thinking about stupid stuff.

"Come on Karin, we have to hurry and get to Urahara's Shoten and meet up with everyone." I nodded in a subordinate way; everyone took off as fast he or she could. We passed so many dead bodies I almost cried out in front of everyone. How could someone do this sort of thing?

Once we rounded the corner, I finally collapsed. In front of me were dead bodies of my friends, Heita, Kei, Kazuya, and Ryohei. Their bodies were all spread out, arms missing on some of them; they swam in their own blood.

Heita was messing his right eye and left leg. His body covered in huge gashes and a huge slit went across his throat. On a closer inspection, I could see what was left of his innards through the hole in his stomach. I almost threw up at that moment.

Kei was missing part of his scalp and brain, along with that he was missing his leg from the knee and below both legs. His middle finger and thumb were missing on his right hand, and his pinky on the left hand. I looked beside him and saw a part of him heart.

Kazuya might have been the worst off though; his head was almost all the way off and tossed to the side. I could see the bones that connected everything together smashed apart. His spinal cord was cut out along with his stomach. I threw up at this time. I could not bare it anymore. I was afraid to look at Ryohei.

Taking a glance at him, I knew I would never get the image out of my head. His lower body was missing, he was missing his scalp, and his brain lay beside him. His eyes were gone along with both his hands. I changed my mind they were all equally horrible.

I threw up beside a trashcan and I could not stop. I never felt so… I do not know. Somehow, a sob choked through between the vomiting. I could not help myself I started crying and yelling to the heavens screaming profanity. I had been so mean to them, neglecting them so I could protect them, but all it got them was a quick death. Toshiro stopped and looked at me, then noticed the bodies on the ground. He quickly ran over to him before I could collapse into their blood. He wrapped his arms around mine, pinning them to my side when he saw me try to reach out to them.

"Pinta…please wake up! Donny, Usaka, Ryohei… please wake up! Please…please get up once more!" I screamed out trying to get to them; however, I was unable to move. I could feel the sobs coming again, I tried to hold it back, but they all came out at again.

"Please…please…just wake up…just wake up one more time…" I desperately called out.

"Karin…you have to let them go for now. After we can make a proper burial, but we need to get moving." He tried to soothe me I guess, but my mind had shut down. I could imagine their deaths, they way they screamed out for someone to help them, the pain they went through, I saw it all.

Toshiro pulled me away, but I would not let him. I struggled to get away from him but I could not escape, "please let me go… I need to see them." I whispered desperately to him. He shook his head in return.

"Toshiro let me go!" I screamed at him.

"I can't allow you to do this to yourself," He yelled back.

"I don't care they are my friends… and now look at them! I should have been here. I could have saved them! I could have saved them!" I cried out in anger at myself.

"You would have ended like them if you did try; they wouldn't forgive themselves if that happened to you. They died in honor; they protected the town with all their strength." Toshiro whispered to me softly. I could not stop the tears from falling. I cried out and screamed to the heavens, Toshiro held on to me the whole time.

"I am sorry…" He mumbled into my ear. I tried to get the images away, but they kept inviting themselves in. I nodded with all my strength. Toshiro pulled me away as I took one last look at their bodies.

"I promise I will avenge you, I promise I will come back to you." I whispered to the corpses of my friends.

Toshiro and I took off into the air catching up to the waiting friends in front of us. My guess they waited knowing something was off. I was glad they did, I would not be able to handle it if they suddenly were dead in front of me. The duo glanced at me with worry evident on their faces. I smiled weakly trying to reassure them. We continued our run to the Urahara Shoten. We arrived a little later to a pile of rocks and wood. I looked at the small fires that lay around the place; piles of candy and fruits laid scattered around. What happened here?

"CHAD!" I ran over to Ichi-nii's voice.

He was holding Chad's hand trying to pull him out of the fallen building. I joined in trying to free the man. We pulled him out finally and looked at the damage. He had his arm powered up; however, it was torn apart in pieces. His head had major bleeding to his head, and his leg was not bent in the right direction.

"Don't worry Karin, he is still alive." Ichi-nii spoke quietly to me.

"How do you know that?" I asked equally silently. I have already seen enough death around here, and would not be able to handle another one.

"I can still feel his reiatsu. I have always been able to feel it so I always know when something is wrong with him." I nodded. I understood that well, I had that with Toshiro. I always knew when something bad happened to him recently.

"Karin, Matsumoto, please help me heal him with our kidou." We both nodded joining in with the healing of Chad. Matsumoto and I worked on his leg and head while Toshiro worked on healing his arm. Once we knew he would not be in extreme pain, we backed away and watched him return to the world of living.

"Ichigo why are you here? Hitsugaya-Taicho you too? In addition, Ichigo's sister? What are you guys all doing here?" Chad spoke in a harsh voice.

"Here to save you." Ichi-nii returned. "Thank you. We were worried that you guys wouldn't be able to make it. Your dad and Urahara-san went off after Yuzu and that man." I looked at Chad when he spoke Yuzu's name.

"Wait you mean Yuzu did all of this." I asked painfully. "I am afraid so. I was told to guard the shop just in case you come to help us. We must hurry and help them." Chad went to stand up but Ichi-nii pushed him to the ground.

"You have to stay here; you won't be able to fight in that condition." He spoke firmly.

"But we have to-"

"I have to agree with Kurosaki on this matter. You are unfit to join us, and therefore you must stay here." Toshiro stated upon Chad. I watched him look down in shame. I had to agree though.

"I'll stay here then." He spoke up. I smiled softly at him. He had a good head on him unlike baka Ichi-nii. "Than we must be off on our way, would you kindly tell us where they were heading?" Matsumoto inquired.

"They were heading off towards the Park. I think they said something about a huge battlefield set up there." We all nodded in response and took off again.

"Neh…Toshiro, what's going to happen when we arrive at the battle ground?" I was very unsure if I was able to fight in this battle, I could barely use my Zanpaku-to to the fullest.

"_**DON'T WORRY KARIN-SAN, WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES." **_

'_Thank you Kuroi.' _

"_**MY PLEASURE, WE ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU."**_

"Well Karin, we first try to find your father, Urahara, and Yoruichi, then make our way towards the man who caused this all and defeat him once for all. Before we kill him we have to get him to open the gates so all the dead souls can filter into the Soul Society." I nodded at the plan.

"And we need to break the control on Yuzu." I smiled when he said that. "Thank you Toshiro." I smiled gratefully to him.

"Please make sure you come out alive." He was extremely worried; I could tell from his eyes.

"Hai, I will definitely come out of this alive." Toshiro smiled at him. We both picked up our pace passing in front of Matsumoto and Ichi-nii. They got the idea quickly and began to increase their speed tremendously.

"I am afraid you won't be able to go any farther." I looked up into the air above us. The man from the portal stood before us as he had at that time. He wore a long cloak that billowed in the air, his hair was has white as it could get, his eyes as green as the sea. He sneered at all of us turning his sneer into a smile he said the one thing I could never have imagined.

"Why hello again... Toshi-nii."

"Nice to see you... brother."


	11. Chapter 11

"Toshiro…what is happening?" I asked the question after what seemed like forever. Everyone looked on silently at the newly announced siblings.

"We are twins… and we both died around the same time. I searched everywhere for him, but I never found him." Toshiro spoke sullenly.

"_Toshi-nii! Come on, come on, and try to catch me!" A young boy yelled as he ran away from his older brother. The young boy, only slightly older chased after his brother laughing as he went along._

"_I'll get you Brother! Just you wait!" Toshiro ran as fast as his short legs could move. Since they both turned the tender age of six today they were allowed to roam free in their acreage. _

"_Nah nah nah! You can't catch me!" The two boys ran as fast as they could across the road and by the river. _

_Every winter there would some person standing by the river watching to make sure no child fell into. However, for some reason there was nobody. Both the boys slowed down their running in front of the river. The twins were not stupid in fact they were both genii, so when they noticed there was nobody by the iced over river they ran back home. Something big was going down. Right when they entered the house they saw the usual guard there, but he stood erect in front of their okaa-san and their new imouto. _

"_Excuse me mister, but what are you doing here your suppose to be by the river." Young Toshiro asked the man. _

_The man turned quickly around to face the children. The finally understood what was happening. The man had shot both their okaa-san and their imouto; he had shot both of them in the forehead twice. _

"_My, my, what cute little children we have here." The man walked slowly toward them, dragging his one foot behind him. The twins turned to run out of the house knowing there was nothing to do about their okaa-san. The both had tears in there eyes when they ran off. _

_They headed towards the river again, this time the police sheriff was there. They ran up to the man hoping to he could stop the man coming after them. _

"_Mister you have to help us, our okaa-san was shot along with our imouto. Please help us get away from this mad man!" The twins rushed off at the same time. _

"_Really now, so how should I help you?" The sheriff grabbed both the boys tying them together. The crazed man ran up to the two as fast as he could._

"_Why thank you sheriff, I would never have caught the two gakis'." The sheriff tipped his hat to the man and walked away from the man and the twins. _

"_Please don't hurt me and Toshi-nii, we won't do anything!" The younger twin begged. Toshiro knew he had to do something. He screamed as loud as he could try, to get anybodies attention. Instead, he got a bullet to the head. The screaming stop instantly. _

"_Toshi-nii…TOSHI-NII!" The young brother cried out for his older brother. He screamed to the heavens, hoping someone could come and help them. _

"_Nobody can here you." The man sneered then laughed manically. He threw the twins, one dead the other alive, into the frozen river. The twin tried to get out of the river but with his dead weight of a brother sinking them farther into the darkness, he could only wait until he died. _

"That's because I wasn't as lucky as you. I was stuck on earth under that river while the Shinigami came and gathered you up, forgetting about me entirely. I don't think they knew I was there because of you." He sneered at his twin.

"I am sorry…I really tried to look everywhere for you." I glanced at Toshiro's face. He was in agony. I never knew he had a family, well I figured he had one, but I guess I never bothered to ask.

"I don't understand how you became what you are now." I yelled at the white haired man.

"I'll tell you if you manage to defeat me, but first you all deserve to know my name." he looked at every single person in front of him before facing me again, "My name is Hitsugaya Haru."

"Now come and if you manage to defeat me I shall tell you what happened to me afterwards. That's if you can beat, Toshi-nii" Haru sneered at Toshiro who just sneered in return.

"Fine, Karin I want you to go with Matsumoto and find your father and the rest of them, Kurosaki you are going to around the town and fight off all the stray hollows, but do not kill any of them. They have no where to go." I saw Matsumoto nod before she disappeared; Ichi-nii grumbled before he shupo'd away too.

"Toshiro! Please be careful, you are needed alive by a lot of people, especially me!" I gave one last look to him before I also flash stepped away. Please be carefully Shiro-chan.

_Karin and Matsumoto._

I quickly caught up to Matsumoto who was helping a few people who survived to a safer place. I grabbed a few people who were still breathing, bringing them to a safe place as well. Once we cleared most of the people, we headed off again. We ran into a few more people that are alive and a lot more dead people as we went on.

"Karin!" I turned my head to the voice that called my name. I saw Tatsuki standing there waiting for me to come over to her. I nodded my head towards her getting Matsumoto's attention. We both ran over to her as quickly as we could.

"What's wrong? And why are you here!" I yelled at Tatsuki.

"I am sorry Karin, but I needed to stop your sister the best I could. I wasn't alone though. Mizuiro and Keigo were with me as well, but they weren't enough and both were killed by your sister. That was when your dad came by, he knew that Yuzu was different and never could be the same again, so he ran after her knowing what he was going to have to do." Tatsuki looked down at the ground, I followed her gaze, and I saw she had one leg missing. Beside her Keigo and Mizuiro laid dead. Their bodies weren't highly damaged like my friends but they were still bad.

"Tatsuki-san do you think you may be able to stay here and maybe hopefully stay alive?" I turned to Matsumoto in wonder. What was she planning now?

"I sure can, as long as I don't move anymore I'll be fine. I have stopped the bleeding." Tatsuki smiled a very shaky grin. Matsumoto nodded to her in appreciation.

"Thank you. Karin it is time for us to take our leave we must go and find where your father and sister are. I am sure Urahara and Yoruichi are just fine." I nodded running a bit; I took one last glance at Tatsuki before I ran after Matsumoto. I knew I would never see Tatsuki again. We both knew it and it sadden me just to leave her, but we had greater goals to finish.

_Toshiro and Haru._

The fight started of quite quickly I would say, actually, it was right after Karin left. Haru charged toward me with his own personal sword ready. I quickly blocked it and flash stepped away to a greater distance. I knew instantly this was going to be a very tough fight.

Stabbing my sword into the ground in front of me, I preformed a quick kidou, "_Destructive Art 4: White Lighting!" _The bolt shot of my hand and flew at my brother, he merely side stepped it quickly before rushing at me again. I picked up my sword just in time to block a vicious attack to the head. I swung under his arm and sliced across his stomach.

I quickly jumped away and looked down at my own stomach, there was a deep gash. I wondered how he was able to get into my guard without me noticing. I looked up at him to see the slash I had made at him. His wasn't as deep as mine but there was still a slash.

"You're going to have to do better than that Toshi-nii." Haru smirked at me.

He suddenly appeared into my vision once again, this time right in my face. I looked down at the sword in his hands. Across the blade, it said something incomplete. I took a huge gasp for air. I grabbed the blade and slowly pulled it out of my stomach. Haru must have decided to let me fight for a bit longer, because he took his sword out very quickly.

I fell to my knees holding the new would in my stomach. I was going to have to step it up a notch now.

"_Souten ni zase!" _I cried out. I swung the chain at my brother grabbing on to his blade. Haru looked rather angry when his blade crumbled into pieces of ice when I yanked the chain back to myself.

"Haru! I have to defeat you, even if it means I must destroy you!" I swung the chain and wrapped it around my brother tightly. I swung my blade quickly summoning the huge iced dragon.

"You have won Toshi-nii…" I watch my brother collapse to the ground quickly. I looked down at my wound to see it slowly growing in size. Once it grew about 3 times it previous size I had began to get dizzy. I remember blacking out sometime after, still being able to hear noises then nothing.

"**You are a fool," **Hyourinmaru roared.

'_Whatever…'_ I was out cold right after that.

_Ichigo._

Stupid kid, who does he think he is? I should be defeating Haru back there not him. My sister was the one that had turned against the world, not his. It is my family problem. However, I guess it is family problem too; his brother that caused all of this.

I quickly knocked another hollow out cold. I heard a huge noise above me and watched as the gate to the Soul Society opened up again. The 4th division Taicho rushed out and quickly flew to the battle ground. I shrugged my shoulders, knowing everything would be all right if she were coming.

Wait. If the gate was opened that means I can finally destroy the hollows and do soul burials on all the souls. Hurray for me. Now I have to take care of souls also. Why did I become a Shinigami again?

_Karin and Matsumoto._

I rushed through the dead bodies running towards the sounds of fighting. Matsumoto saw that Unohana-Taicho was coming so she went to help her take care of all the injured and do many soul burials. I quickly came to the sight of my father fighting my sister. I ran up to my winded dad as he was blown away through a tree.

"Otou-san!" Isshin looked at me smiling lightly even in this situation. He smile grew serious when a blast of dark energy shot at me. He threw his zanpaku-to up and blocked the blast.

"Wha—" I mumbled. Otou-san looked at me and pulled me to the ground as another blast came at us.

"Karin, you know what must be done. She is not under any spell; somehow, she found Haru along time ago and decided to join with him. He taught her many skills, and she found she liked it. But our Yuzu is in there I know it, but there is no way to get her back." I looked at my sister who was smirking at the two of us.

"You mean I have to kill her right." My mind could grasp around that fact very well.

"I am sorry sweetie but it has to be done. However, I think maybe when she does die she'll return back to normal and well give her the soul burial and send her to Soul Society." It made sense but I could not kill her. She was my twin; she was always there for me. However, if this was the only way to save her it must be done.

"Okay… I'll try my best Otou-san." He smiled at me and ruffled my hair. I sneered at him for ruining my hair once again. Sure I did not care but it was quite annoying fighting with messy hair. The sheath melting away let loose my zanpaku-to. I turned toward Yuzu who stood curious at the blade.

"Yuzu, I am sorry, but I have to do this. To save you, I will free you from this imprisonment! I will protect my loved ones, even if I have to kill them to save them!" I started my speech quietly but I grew louder by the second, _"__DANSU: SHIROI HONOO!" _Shiroi appeared behind me like usually expect this time she did not fly at me and combine she stood perfectly behind me.

"_**Karin, you are finally ready to fully use me to your extent, I will let you use my next form. It will purify your sister's soul and make her forgot everything, however at a cost. Once you use the attack you will forget all about your sister as well as everyone associated with her. It is the only way." **_I looked at Shiroi then towards Otou-san.

"I rather be able to see her happy with no memories of us, then not to see her at all and be able to remember us." I nodded at him agreeing, it was a painful decision, but we knew it was the right one.

"_**Do you agree?" **_Shiroi spoke to me. I nodded answering her question, _**"When you get close enough repeat after me." **_I nodded telling her I understood.

"You will not be able to get close enough with your puny skill!" I turned to Yuzu in shock. Her voice it was not the lovely kind one, it was sinister and malevolent. Tears leaked out of my eyes.

"Goodbye Yuzu, I am glad we were able to be sisters at one point." I flash stepped in front of her stabbing my sword into her stomach.

"_HI NO SHIROI TSUBASA: SHIROI HONOO!" _I yelled at the same time as Shiroi.

"_**Hi no Shiroi Tsubasa: Shiroi Honoo!" **_

There was a huge flash of light, blinding me temporarily. When the light was out of my eyes, I noticed my sword was gone instead there was a staff in its place. The staff was a blinding white, with long ribbons flowing off it. The top was a white ring with a small diamond in the center. I looked into the diamond and there I saw was a small flame. The flame was a dark black but slowly turned to a bright gold.

I lifted my eyes to my sister. She was surrounded by a white ring also, and incased around her was a diamond. I watched as black ooze crawled out of her skin and into the diamond turning into metallic gold color. The gold flowed back into her and with another flash of light, the diamond was gone as well the staff.

"Don't worry Karin. Everything is going to be okay now." I turned into my father's chest and cried my eyes out. First my friends then Tatsuki and the others were dead, and now my own sister.

"_**Karin, take a look at your sister." **_Shiroi pointed into the sky where I had previously been, _**"that is the result of the attack." **_

Yuzu was floating in the air with a pair of white wings with gold streaks running all over. Above her head, there was two diamonds, one black the other gold. I turned to Shiroi confused at the diamonds. She nodded her head back to Yuzu so I could watch what happened. The wings wrapped around her before bursting in a bunch of feathers. One feather landed on my hand and I instantly blacked out of a minute.

"_Karin! Guess what, Guess what!" A 4-year-old Yuzu cried out. _

"_What is it Yuzu?" A 4-year-old Karin answered. _

"_I love you with all my heart!" Yuzu hugged her sister. Karin smiled and hugged her back to. _

"_I also love you with my entire heart, and I always will."_

I realized what the feathers were after that quick second. They were the memories of Yuzu. I didn't realize that I was laughing and crying until I saw Ichi-nii run up confused.

"_**You are correct about the feathers they are all of her memories, and the one that shows to you is her most treasured one with you in it. I shall explain what happened in a second, so be patient for a one more moment." **_I nodded to her smiling at the memory still.

"Karin! Otou-san! Are you all right! Where's Yuzu?" Ichi-nii ran up to the both of us. Otou-san placed me back on the ground so I could fully answer the question better.

"Ichi-nii, Yuzu is dead, however she is in the Soul Society cleansed of all the evil and her memories. By midnight, we won't ever remember her again. It will be like she never existed. But I am happy knowing she is still alive and pure hearted like she always was." Ichi-nii hugged me lightly around my shoulders, I great fully returned the hug back to him.

"I also am proud of her and you too." Ichi-nii kissed the top of my head lightly. We both looked up at the slowly falling feathers in the sky. It was beautiful to bad we won't remember it forever. Somewhere I knew we would. After a few minutes of our family moment we were interrupted by Unohana, "Hello Kurosaki Family, I am just here to check your injuries and make sure you are all well." I glanced at my Otou-san and my brother and smiled back at Unohana.

"I believe we are all right." Unohana smiled a gentle smile that reminded me of Yuzu. Unohana walked away silently heading towards anyone else who was injured.

"_**I believe I shall tell you all about the Hi no Shiroi Tsubasa: Shiroi Honoo now." **_I nodded my head and walked up beside her. Otou-san and Ichi-nii seemed to understand for once that I needed to be alone to hear this.

"_**What you saw was the purifying of a previously good spirit. The gold diamond was her pure spirit the black diamond was the evil spirit. When the sword is stabbed through someone like Yuzu then the sword will automatically change into the staff now on. The white circle is the purifying ring while the diamond serves as the purifier.**_

_**The final form is the angel form with the two diamonds and the white circle. The wings are the memories, the more gold feathers the purer the person was. Yuzu had almost every feather golden so she was a very pure heart. When they wrap around the person it is extracting the memories and then throwing them out, if you will. The white circle is to show she went through the process and succeed. She will be a pure soul with no memories of what transpired." **_Shiroi and me walked through the field and watched all the Shinigamis' performing Soul Burial.

"Shiroi is everything going to be okay for now?" I asked quietly.

"_**Karin, my child, I have no idea." **_Shiroi smiled at me, and we continued to walk until I reached Unohana and collapsed from my lack of reiatsu. She smiled at my form just like Yuzu did. I knew I was going to be okay, for now anyways.


	12. Chapter 12

Now that the gates were open we had no need for the watches

Now that the gates were open, we had no need for the watches. I tore mine off throwing it into a drawer back at home. Surprisingly, my room was still intake; the rest of the house was either tore apart or wasn't even there. It had been a week since the battle. The town was empty with the occasionally people in the hospital. Two days after the battle everyone came to pray for those who died in the middle. I prayed mostly for my four friends.

Toshiro was in the fourth division care now healing rapidly along with a few other Shinigami. Ichi-nii and Otou-san were the same as always acting as if nothing happened. In the back of my mind, I felt like I was forgetting something but I always just shook it off. The baka squad, Ichi-nii and Otou-san, were building our house back to the way it was before, minus a few items.

I was left with the job of cleaning my room, the bathroom, and a few other rooms. After a quick glance over I took note what had to be fix and what needed to be built. I picked up a few stuff animals that I never seen before. I tossed them in the garbage bag to my left.

"Need any help." I nodded at the voice."It would be appreciated." The voice wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me into his chest.

"I thought you were still healing?" I asked my boyfriend. He spun me around so I was facing him.

"Done now." I laughed lightly for no reason. "Oh shush you." He said jokingly. He moved his hands to my side and tickled me lightly down my sides.

"Stop! Please stop!" I curled up trying to get him to stop tickling me. All I succeeded in doing was knocking us of balance. He sat lightly on my stomach and continued to tickle my sides.

"Say uncle." I shook my head through the massive laughing fit I was having, "Say it." He moved his hands quicker then before.

"Okay okay! Uncle!" He stopped tickling me in favor of kissing me. Greedily, I kissed him back. He pulled away after a few moments. His hands were right above my head and he had his legs on either side of my body.

"Come on, let's finish cleaning up." He got off me pulling me up with him. After we finished cleaning my room, with several interruptions, we headed into the next room. It took us about 2 hours to finish the upstairs.

"So now what do you want to do?" I asked him.

He smiled his perverted smile and pulled me into my room. Of course, we didn't do anything. He picked me up bridal style and jumped out of the window. When we landed, he put me down again. We began our walk around the town holding hands. Everywhere I turned there were 20 or 30 Shinigami rapidly fixing up the town. Toshiro just shrugged his shoulders when I turned to him questionably curious.

"Karin. Are you staying here or coming back to the Soul Society?"

"Most likely going back to the Soul Society. Otou-san is coming along with me, and I think Rukia-nee is staying here with Ichi-nii to watch the town." Toshiro stopped instantly.

"So you're coming to the Soul Society?" I nodded at his eager face. He smiled and lifted me into the air spinning me around. When he brought me down, he kissed me quickly. He rested his head on my shoulder hugging me tightly.

"Thank god, what would I have done if I couldn't see you as much." I smiled at him. "Who knows, you might have run off with Hinamori though." He shook his head.

"Nope, I would never do that to you."

We continued our walk around the town, with myself asking the occasionally question of what was happening now with the winter war. "Well we realized that the gate to Hueco Mundo won't open from some reason. They cannot come here but we can go there. We plan to bring the war to them."

"Am I going?" I asked. "Nope, they have also decided that you and I are staying behind to watch out for stray hollows if they come through the gate."

"So basically we are guarding?"

"Basically." I nodded. As long as I was with Toshi, I was okay.

It took another week to get the town rebuilt that was they day Otou-san and myself left for the Soul Society. Ichi-nii and Rukia-nee stood in front of us in their gigai and body. The rest of us were in our Shinigami form and were ready to leave.

"Ichi-nii don't be stupid." I smirked at him. "Yeah right, as long as you don't get yourself married or pregnant." I blushed.

"Yeah right." I spoke smugly. Toshiro just stood there with a blank face. "It is time for us to go." I turned to Toshi and nodded. I gave both Rukia-nee and Ichi-nii a quick hug. The waved at us and then I saw the Soul Society in front of us.

"Well Karin, welcome home." I smiled at Toshi. I was home again.


End file.
